Srinagar, Aug 27: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), Jammu & Kashmir, has called for strict and effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020 in all Government and private schools across Jammu & Kashmir.
In a communication addressed to the Directors of School Education, Jammu and Kashmir, the FDA has emphasized the need to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Regulations, which seek to ensure the availability of safe, hygienic and nutritionally balanced food in and around educational institutions and to safeguard the health and well-being of schoolchildren.
Regulation 3(5) mandates that the School Authority shall ensure that no person sells or offers for sale, including free sale, or permits the sale of food products high in saturated fat, trans-fat, added sugar or Sodium (Junk Foods) within the school premises or campus. Further, Regulation 5(1) provides that no person shall advertise market, sell or offer for sale, including free sale, or permit the sale of such food products within the school campus or to schoolchildren in an area within 50 metres from the school gate in any direction.
The Regulation 3(1), provides where the School Authority itself sells or caters school meals on the school campus, or where Food Business Operators (FBOs) sell or cater food on the school campus or the concerned FBOs shall be registered/licensed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and shall comply with the prescribed sanitary and hygienic practices under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, along with the requirements relating to the Food Safety Display Board and Food Safety Supervisor(s).
The Regulations further require that designated meal times in schools shall be mandatory to inculcate healthy eating habits among children. It shall also be ensured that safe drinking water is provided free of cost to all students.
The Regulations define the School Authority as the Head of the Institution, including the Principal or Headmaster, along with the governing body, trust or any other entity responsible for the management and administration of the school and shall also have a system of regular inspection of food premises to ensure that safe, balanced and hygienic food is served to students. The School Authority may appoint a Health and Wellness Ambassador or constitute a Health and Wellness Team, which shall act as nodal mechanism for monitoring the availability of safe, balanced and hygienic food in the school.
The FDA has accordingly called upon the School Education Department and the concerned School Authorities to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Regulations in all Government and private schools across Jammu & Kashmir.
