Maharashtra FDA Directs Schools to Replace Canteen Fast Food with Nutritious Meals

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed schools across Maharashtra to replace fast food in their canteens with nutritious alternatives, as part of an initiative to encourage healthier eating habits among students.

Alongside the directive, the administration has launched food safety and nutrition training programs across approximately 300 schools in the state, including institutions in Mumbai. The move follows restrictions previously placed on the sale of junk food and items containing high levels of added sugar and salt within a 50-metre radius of school premises.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Saturday, Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe emphasised the importance of food quality and safety standards. Mundhe noted that food choices should be determined by health and safety standards rather than taste alone, adding that consuming healthy food is essential for the nation's overall progress.

Under the newly introduced training framework, school nutrition committees are receiving guidance on age-appropriate dietary needs for students across different age brackets. Senior FDA officials are conducting these sessions, detailing the food sources required to meet nutritional requirements and educating school staff on precautions necessary during food preparation and service, alongside general hygiene protocols.

In addition to educational measures in schools, the FDA has intensified enforcement across the state. Under Mundhe's leadership, officials have carried out inspections and raids at multiple food establishments and institutions. The department has also suspended the licences of several eateries after detecting severe hygiene lapses and breaches of food safety regulations.