SRINAGAR — The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu and Kashmir, has directed the School Education Department to strictly implement food safety regulations in all government and private schools, including a ban on the sale of junk food within school premises and within 50 metres of school gates.
In a communication to the Directors of School Education, the FDA said the Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020, must be effectively implemented to ensure safe, hygienic and nutritionally balanced food for schoolchildren.
Restrictions on food sales
Under the regulations, schools must ensure that food products high in saturated fat, trans-fat, added sugar or sodium are not sold or offered within school premises.
The restrictions also extend to an area within 50 metres of the school gate in any direction, where the sale, marketing or advertising of such food products to school children is prohibited.
Licensing and hygiene requirements
The FDA has also directed that school authorities or food business operators running food services on school campuses must be registered or licensed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and comply with prescribed sanitary and hygienic requirements.
Such food facilities are also required to have Food Safety Display Boards and Food Safety Supervisor(s), wherever applicable.
Additional measures
The regulations further require schools to designate meal times to encourage healthy eating habits among children and provide safe drinking water free of cost to all students.
School authorities, including principals and headmasters, along with the bodies responsible for management of the institutions, have been tasked with ensuring regular inspection of food premises and monitoring the quality, safety and hygiene of food served to students.
The FDA has also said schools may appoint a Health and Wellness Ambassador or constitute a Health and Wellness Team to act as a nodal mechanism for monitoring the availability of safe, balanced and hygienic food.
The FDA has called upon the School Education Department and school authorities to ensure strict compliance with the regulations across Jammu and Kashmir.