Food regulator Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s proposal to ban junk food and its advertisement in school campuses and within a radius of 50 metres is a welcome step towards discouraging students of this habit. However, there are huge challenges that school administrations will face in ensuring junk food remains out of the campus.
The FSSAI is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and is guided by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. It has sent out the draft for stakeholders to give their comments over 30 days. Can this be a new chapter towards inculcating healthy eating habits in students?
Foods high in fat, salt and sugar content certainly can be avoided in school canteens and premises, but how does the school monitor and curb the sale of packaged food including carbonated drinks in the vicinity. Students studying in schools which are housed inside cities will find easy access to such junk food which is beyond the jurisdiction of these institutes. Moreover, identifying fatty or junk food will be a Herculean task for which school administrations will have to be on the watch and probably monitor content and ingredients from time to time. There is a proposal to bar food business operators from advertising such foods in school premises or within a 50-metre radius, but what about the distant high-rise hoardings that can’t miss the eye?
The electronic media and the internet have a huge influence on the modern-day children, especially when it comes to junk food, new technology and mobiles. Students are tuned to following their favourite personalities and stars and pick up habits in quick time. That’s not all. The bad influences are passed on to their peers.
The idea of wholesome home food has slowly faded and students find junk food appetizing. The chapatti and nutritious ‘bhajji’ or an omelette that was packed in tiffins at homes has slowly faded away. In a changed societal setup where both parents are often taking up jobs, time is a crucial factor and stuffing tiffins with packaged foods becomes a quick alternative. From packaged meats to vegetables, the market is flooded with such eatables having a high level of trans fat, sodium content and preservatives. Even chapattis come packed in stores. How does the school monitor tiffins for the nutrition value of the food?
It is positive that the government has taken cognizance
of the junk food that is available on the campuses. But more than these restrictions, the government should ponder over failures in educating the child on the dangers of junk food. Keeping the students away from junk food during school
hours is one side of the story, but what happens when they are out of the campus? Rather than restricting children, the government and schools should focus more on educating them on a healthy lifestyle.
