Junk foods are the only thing that tempts the youngsters for their mouth watering spices and fancy looks. And they are easily available. This is the reason the school and college students live on these junk foods for most of their time of days.
Now it is going to stop as the universities across India are advised not to sell junk foods in their premises.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked the vice chancellors of all universities to take immediate necessary measures to make the students aware of the 'ill effects of junk food' and also to start orientation programmes for faculty and staff on health issues, through a letter.
The letter also stated that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked to issue instructions against junk food in higher educational institutes such as universities and colleges and said that "banning junk food in colleges would set new standards for healthy food and make the students live better, and learn better and also reduce the obesity levels in young learners, thus preventing life style diseases which have a direct link with excessive weight.”
India’s food regulator, FSSAI has proposed a ban on all forms of advertising of products with high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) aimed at children, a move that could affect companies making chips, burgers, pizzas and other junk food.
“HFSS food products shall not be advertised to children in any form,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said in a notice inviting comments, views and suggestions to its draft regulations.
However, the draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018, did not spell out how the advertising curbs would be enforced. An expert panel set up by the authority earlier had recommended a ban on advertising of junk foods on children’s channels or during kids’ shows on TV.
“Potato chips, colas, ready-to-eat food and pickle are hugely advertised products which fall in the category of high fat, sugar and salt. However, these are items of general consumption, so how do we ensure that children are excluded from viewing those ads?” asked Sagar Kurade, a representative of the All India Food Processors' Association.
The Food and Beverage Alliance of India, which includes companies such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Kellogg, Mars Chocolate, Hindustan Unilever and Mondelez, has already decided to voluntarily restrict food and beverage advertisements aimed at children.
“The revenue of kids’ channels has already suffered due to responsible advertising policy of most multi-national companies.
Going forward, there could be some more dent, however, it may not be so much,” said Basabdatta Chowdhuri, chief operating officer of media-buying agency Publicis Media. The draft policy suggests that food companies declare the quantity of total fat, added sugar, salt, trans fat and energy in each serving with the recommended dietary allowance.
The GST (goods and services tax) would reduce the prices of junk food such as pasta, cake, pastry and chocolates.
Tax levied on chocolate would come down from 30% to 28%, while there would be only 18% GST on pasta, cake, pastry and pizza, which is less than the present rate. Cooked meat, mineral water and non-alcoholic drinks would cost less too.
Consumers may have to spend less to run the kitchen as sugar, food grains, jaggery, vegetable oil, domestic LPG, biscuits, raisins and gum, confectionery items, baking powder, margarine, matchsticks and candles would be cheaper as GST imposed would be less than the tax-rate effective at present.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is in the process to come up with new food labelling regulations related to packaged food products, based on the recommendations made by the expert group, said Pawan Agarwal, the chief executive officer of FSSAI.
The regulator will also define 'junk food' before imposing further taxes on packaged food products with high fat, salt and sugar content, the executive said.
"We are making big changes in labelling," said Agarwal.
An expert panel set up by FSSAI has recommended additional tax on highly processed food items and sugar-laced beverages as well as a ban on advertising of junk foods on children channels or during kids shows on TV.
Agarwal said that FSSAI is also looking to bring in regulation which will require every food business operator to have at least one trained and qualified food safety supervisor at its premise.
Agarwal added, "Going forward we will amend the regulations where over a period of time every food business operator will require to have one trained and qualified food handler at their disposal."
Agarwal also added, "Obviously there will be a time lag. We will give a couple of years time before the requirement that all food businesses should have one person who is trained and certified in food safety. And before we start amending our regulations we had already created a ecosystem where such large scale training can begin to happen."
FSSAI will collaborate with corporate entities and academic institutions for Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) program, where the regulator will be launching 19 short-term courses to train food handlers. The body hopes that the trained staff will in turn educate people working alongside him thus taking the food hygiene and safety standards in the country several notches up.
The regulator also launched a interactive portal to educate consumers and help them with grievance redressal.
As per Arvind Mediratta, CEO & Managing Director of Metro Cash and Carry, India, government's consideration of tax on junk foods has resulted in a boost in current consumption trends towards organic foods and health & wellness products.
According to a statement, Mediratta, said: "The health and wellness foods sector has been estimated to have a potential of Rs 33,000 crore in the Indian market, with a steady upwards growth rate over the last couple of years. With a large percentage of our population under the age of 30 years - many of them young professionals with busy work schedules - a healthier diet is the cornerstone of a wholesome and healthier lifestyle, with natural and organic foods becoming a key component. The growth of a middle class that increasingly enjoys a larger disposable income and has greater exposure to global standards of food safety and quality is another factor."
Reflecting such patterns of consumption in its business, Mediratta said the firm has seen a strong trend towards organic fresh and packaged foods among its customers.
He further added, "We have also seen kiranas and small retailer customers expanding the breadth and depth of their assortment in the organic staples segment, catering to increasing consumer awareness and resulting in better penetration and distribution of organic foods in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.”
In order to curb the consumption of junk food among children, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) may roll out a new norm which will force the school authorities to show pizzas, burgers and aerated drinks an exit door. The food safety regulator is currently chalking down a list of food products that contain high volume of salt, sugar and fat. Soon FSSAI will introduce a new guideline hence, forcing schools to knock off such food articles from their canteen’s menu.
Commenting on the move, Pawan Kumar, FSSAI said that the list will have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people. The list most probably will be containing items such as chips, pizzas, burgers, ready-to-eat noodles, sugar-sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, potato fries and confectionery items.
This step will also force the children to give away on food items that are most popular among them. The move comes in the wake of rising burden of diabetes and obesity among children and youngsters. In October, the food regulator had also issued draft guidelines on wholesome and nutritious food availability in schools to control junk food consumption among children in India. The draft guidelines suggest restricting sale or availability of food items high in fat, salt or sugar within 50 metres of a school's premises.
The number of diabetics in India has doubled from 32 million in 2000 to 63 million in 2013. It is projected to increase to 101.2 million in the next 15 years. Globally, at least 41 million children under five years were estimated to be obese or overweight in 2014.
The recent move by the Government of Kerala to impose 14.5 per cent fat tax on junk food may take the administrators to the court. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has decided to knock the court’s door if government levies the controversial fat tax on junk food sold in some restaurants in the state.
Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI informed that the association will take legal action if the tax is implemented. The industry body, which represents global and local restaurants across the country, has sent a detailed, written representation to the Kerala government. NRAI said that this is completely irrational and it will oppose it. If it comes into passing, association will oppose it legally as well.
Earlier, Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister, Kerala had proposed imposing 14.5 per cent fat tax on junk food such as pizzas, burgers, pasta and doughnuts, sold in branded restaurants. However, the suggestion was not welcomed by the NRAI and it sparked a big controversy within the state.
If state imposes such tax then it will become the first state to have such kind of tax. Industry estimates suggest there are at least 50-60 organised restaurant chains in Kerala, including global brands such as McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino's and Subway. Amlani, who heads hospitality chain Impresario Entertainment, said the proposed tax was highly discriminatory and discretionary.
NRAI definitely not going to take this lying down and association will oppose it. There's no scientific basis for this, adds Amlani. Restaurant owners of the state are also seem to be very upset by the government’s move. This could trigger similar moves in other states. It is very unfair on us, commented chief executive officer of a leading restaurant chain.
Kerala, state with the highest literacy rate has decided to impose five per cent tax on certain packed foods and a 'fat tax' of 14.5 per cent for burgers, pizzas and pastas served in branded restaurants. The move certainly came as a shock to multi-national food chains such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dominos etc. The CPI(M)-led LDF government is expected to generate revenue of Rs 10 crore from the recently included tax structure.
Stating that the state was passing through a severe financial crisis due to various factors, the budget proposed an 'anti-slowdown package' of Rs 12,000 crore for taking up various development and infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and IT parks.
In the recently presented state budget, TM Thomas Isaac, Finance Minister, Kerala said that steps would be taken to increase the tax revenue by 25 per cent per annum by various measures including elimination of corruption and implementation of trader-friendly measures. The government will be working closely to chalk down the plans and policies to attract Rs one lakh crore investment in various sectors in the next five years.
While presenting the budget, Finance Minister also elaborated on expanding the public distribution system he stated that the public distribution system would be expanded by including families of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme workers under free ration scheme, now limited to BPL families. The government has allocated around Rs 300 crore for the aforementioned scheme.
The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the central government to implement within three months guidelines on restricting sale of junk food in and around schools, reported IANS.
Earlier, the court, gave its node to guidelines prescribed by FSSAI that identify certain category of food and drinks as harmful for children advocating these be "regulated/ restricted".
FASSI was given three months time by division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath to put in force the guidelines after the government moved a plea seeking three more weeks to implement the guidelines regarding restriction on sale of junk food.
The guidelines were framed by a court-appointed expert committee under aegis of FSSAI on the subject of "making available quality and safe food in schools".
The panel identified foods high in fat, sugar and salt that must be limited by schools in canteens.
It is said that schools must encourage nutrition awareness and promote food items including sandwiches, fruit salads, paneer, vegetable cutlets, upma, idli, uthapam, khandvi, poha, low fat milkshakes etc.
Uday Foundation filed the PIL which had sought an immediate ban on junk food and carbonated drinks in all unaided and private schools.
It added that the court to initiate measures to discourage availability of fast food within 500 yards of schools in Delhi, apart from a canteen policy.
Keeping in view the Supreme Court ruling of 2012 regarding the health of the Amarnath yatra pilgrims, the ban on the sale of cold drinks and junk food enroute the cave shrine will be strictly enforced from this year by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, reported PTI.
"There was a Supreme Court ruling in this regard in 2012, so the decision was taken to completely ban the sale and consumption of cold drinks and junk food enroute the cave shrine," shared Pankaj Anand, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, SASB.
An experts' committee, formed following the Supreme Court's concern over the large number of pilgrim deaths in 2012, had cautioned the consumption of cold drinks and fried junk food as there is shortage of oxygen enroute the cave shrine.
"Health experts say that it becomes difficult to digest such food items in the absence of adequate oxygen supply which gives rise to breathing problems hence make yatra difficult for the pilgrims," added Anand.
The decision of banning these food items was in place in 2013 and 2014 also but it would be strictly enforced from this year.
The SASB has also asked the langer organisers to desist from distributing fried food items and cold drinks as they are not good for health in low oxygen conditions.
It has instructed the organisers to display the menu of the food items being prepared and distributed by them to the pilgrims, he said.
The shrine board authorities will take stringent action against those who violate the orders.
"In the past also action was taken and those who are found violating these orders would be blacklisted in future," he said.
The Delhi high court has drafted a guideline for restriction on sale of junk food in and around schools and has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to create regulations and implement them within three months.
The court also directed the Delhi government and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider issuing directions to schools to implement the guidelines even before the FSSAI frames rules under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The draft guidelines, which were submitted to the court last year, include measures such as restriction/limit on the availability of most common “High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) foods” — chips, burgers and aerated drinks — in schools and area within 50 metres of schools.
The court also suggests the creation of a canteen policy and school health education programmes to educate students and parents about the “ill effects” of unhealthy food habits.
The High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw in its judgment declined to pass orders or directions to the government on how to regulate sale of HFSS foods in schools, after noting that the guidelines had been created by an expert panel.
The court also declined to define the term “junk food” after observing that the draft guidelines had not used the term “junk” but had used the term, HFSS foods.
“When an expert body constituted for this very purpose and in performance of its statutory duties has framed the guidelines, without there being any specific challenge thereto, we do not consider appropriate on our part to tinker with it,” the court said.
The judgment has been issued on a PIL filed in 2010 by the NGO Uday Foundation to curb the sale of junk food and unhealthy eating habits among children in Delhi.
The FSSAI guidelines will apply to the whole of the country.
In a bid to ensure the implementation of the guidelines in Delhi, the court directed the L-G to consider issuing instructions under the Delhi School Education Act, by April 30.
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