HC orders segregation of healthy and junk food items

The Delhi High Court today said a list be prepared segregating healthy food items from that of eatables which have high fat, sugar and salt contents.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog also sought responses within two weeks from various stakeholders on draft guidelines of an expert committee, appointed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on regulation of sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around school premises in the country.
It asked senior advocate N K Kaul, appointed as an amicus curiae to assist it, to prepare a list segregating healthy and junk food items and fixed the PIL for hearing on August 6.

"Some good work has been done in last three-and-half years by the panel and others. The real issue is how it would be implemented," Kaul said.
Earlier, the expert group, formed by FSSAI, has come out with a slew of guidelines on the subject of "making available quality and safe food in schools" and suggested the availability of food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) contents be restricted in schools and area "within 50 meters".
The report said the kids are not "the best judge of their food choice" and moreover, the schools are not the right place for promoting HFSS food.

It had termed "chips, fried foods, sugar sweetened carbonated beverages" etc as HFSS foods and suggested "the school management must ensure regulation of such food through canteen policies that promote healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods...".

It also suggested there are food items such as 'samosa' and other fried food and a nationwide programme can be started to find out as to which can be termed as HFSS food.
The panel has also suggested a canteen policy to provide nutritious food in school be developed to ensure that such canteens are not treated as "commercial outlets".
The court is hearing the PIL filed by Uday Foundation seeking an immediate ban on junk food and carbonated drinks in all unaided and private schools.