Keralam government to seek Centre's clarity on junk food rules

Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam will seek clarity from the central food safety authority on rules to identify and regulate foods high in fat, sugar and salt, as the state steps up efforts to curb unhealthy eating habits among children, Health Minister K Muraleedharan has said.

The state will write to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeking early finalisation of the proposed regulations, which would help it identify junk food products and regulate or prohibit their sale on school premises, the minister said in a statement on Monday evening.

"The absence of a precise scientific definition of junk food has created uncertainty over which food products should be included in this category and how their sale should be regulated," he said.


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Although foods high in fat, sugar and salt can be classified as HFSS products, clear standards are needed to determine the levels at which these ingredients become excessive.

The lack of such criteria has made it difficult to prepare a list of products and regulate their sale around schools, Muraleedharan said.

The FSSAI published draft regulations on August 7, proposing specific limits for fat, sugar and salt content in solid and liquid foods to identify products with high levels of these ingredients.

Under the proposal, solid foods containing more than 4.2 grams of fat, three grams of sugar and 0.625 grams of salt per 100 grams would cross the respective thresholds.

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For liquid foods, the proposed limits are more than 1.5 grams of fat, two grams of sugar and 0.175 grams of salt per 100 millilitres.

The state said the regulations needed to be finalised and incorporated into the legal framework to provide a clear basis for identifying such products and restricting their sale on school premises.

Alongside the proposed regulatory measures, Keralam is implementing programmes to improve children's access to safe and nutritious food and encourage healthy eating habits.

The Eat Right School initiative has so far been implemented in 169 schools, including Model Residential Schools.

It focuses on ensuring food safety, hygiene and the availability of balanced and nutritious food in school and hostel canteens.

The SNF@School programme (Safe and Nutritious Food at School), aimed at providing children with practical nutrition knowledge, has been implemented in 2,500 schools, the minister said.

The Eat Right Campus initiative, which promotes safe and nutritious food in canteens at colleges, universities, hospitals and government institutions, has secured certification for 456 establishments.

The state is also conducting inspections and taking legal action against establishments that violate food safety standards, he added.