"No cold drinks, samosas, ice creams...": Maharashtra FDA bans sale of junk food within 50 metres of schools
Mumbai, July 29
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration announced a strict state-wide ban on Wednesday, prohibiting the sale, distribution, and advertisement of high-fat, sugary, and deep-fried items inside and around school premises.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde emphasised the strict accountability of school authorities and outlined the scope of prohibited items.
"I want to make it clear that excess fat, excess trans fat and excess sugar products, including deeply fried foods, excessive sugar drinks, vada pav, samosa, cold drinks, chocolates and ice cream, such junk foods are strictly not allowed inside schools to be sold, not be distributed freely, advertise and also not in the surrounding (50 metres range). Principal and School Management should implement this strictly, and there should also be awareness about it among parents," he said.
The official said action will be taken against the Principal and the School Management who don't comply and follow.
"We will start inspections across the State soon. FDA along with School Management will be happy to take a workshop at District level and Taluka level to implement it smoothly," Munde added.
He further detailed the enforcement rules and addressed exam-related complaints regarding the alleged MPSC paper leak.
"We received an email from an individual on the 21st. We recorded the person's statement on the 24th. MPSC is an independent body, and it conducts the Food and Drug Inspector examination. We have forwarded the statement and all the documents we received to the MPSC," Tukaram Munde said.
In July, in a separate incident, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the food licences of three eateries in Mumbai after inspections revealed serious violations of hygiene and food safety norms, the department said on Tuesday.
According to the FDA, a total of six inspections were carried out, following which the licences of three food businesses in Bhendi Bazaar and Umarkhadi were suspended for failing to comply with food safety regulations.
The FDA said one establishment's food licence was suspended on July 14 after a re-inspection conducted on July 13 found that 25 major deficiencies identified earlier had not been rectified. The outlet had first been inspected on April 16, following which an improvement notice was issued on April 28.
During the re-inspection, officials found wet and slippery kitchen floors, absence of records for raw material procurement, no testing records for drinking water quality, lack of documentation regarding the quality of cooking oil, failure to maintain proper segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and open windows without insect-proof screens, allowing pest entry.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good step but need to focus on implementation. School principals already have too much on their plate. And what about the small vendors who depend on this business? They need alternative livelihood support. Also, parents should teach kids healthy eating habits at home first—you can't just blame schools. 🙏
As someone who grew up eating vada pav and samosas after school, I see both sides. Yes, health is important, but these are also part of our food culture. Instead of banning, why not regulate portion sizes or encourage healthier versions? Also, school canteens should offer affordable nutritious options—not everyone can afford fancy health foods. 💪
This is great but seems selective. What about the packaged chips and biscuits sold in school canteens? And those 'healthy' fruit juices that are full of sugar? The FDA should focus on enforcing existing food safety laws first—many school canteens have hygiene issues. Also, parents need workshops on tiffin ideas—our kids end up eating junk because we pack boring food. 😅
Interesting move. In the US, we have similar policies in some states, but enforcement is always the challenge. The 50-meter rule seems reasonable. But I wonder about the practical impact on small family-run businesses near schools. Perhaps phased implementation with vendor education programs would work better. Also, FDA should partner with schools to create healthy eating campaigns. 🍎
Respectfully, I think this misses the bigger picture. Our kids are eating junk because healthy options are expensive and boring. Instead of banning street food,
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.