City schools purge junk food after FDA order

Several schools have issued circulars and emails informing parents about the new norms and urging them to send healthy home-cooked meals in their children’s lunch boxes.

MUMBAI: Schools across the city have begun removing junk food from their canteens after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed educational institutions to stop storing and selling food items high in fat, salt and sugar. The move has prompted schools to overhaul canteen menus, phasing out long-popular items such as vada pav, samosa pav, burgers and French fries.

Several schools have issued circulars and emails informing parents about the new norms and urging them to send healthy home-cooked meals in their children’s lunch boxes.

Sonali Gandhi, principal of Jamanabai Narsee School in Vile Parle, said the school immediately withdrew all prohibited items from its canteen. A circular issued by the school said snacks such as samosas, vada pav, French fries and potato swirls have been discontinued.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Thomson Kinny, secretary of the Archdiocese Board of Education and principal of St. John the Baptist High School and Junior College in Thane, said the school implemented the FDA directive immediately.

“We informed students about the new rules through an intercom announcement and explained the importance of healthy eating,” Kinny said.

The revised canteen menu now includes healthier options such as poha, upma, and idli. “Students were recently served sweet corn and boiled peanuts, and the response was positive,” Kinny said.

The school has also appointed teachers as nodal officers to oversee implementation of the new norms and selected students as Health and Wellness Ambassadors to promote healthy eating among their peers. The ambassadors will be formally introduced during the school’s investiture ceremony. The primary and kindergarten sections will also hold a fancy dress competition themed around healthy food.

Meanwhile, St. Mary’s ICSE, ISC and International School in Mazagaon has informed parents that chocolates, sweets, candies, cakes, pastries, sugary drinks, chips and other packaged junk food will not be permitted during birthday celebrations on campus.

The school said its canteen will serve only fresh, hygienic and nutritious food and discontinue the sale and promotion of HFSS food. Parents have also been urged to discourage children from buying such food from shops within 50 metres of the school, where the sale and promotion of these products is prohibited under the new regulations.