Stories
Keralam Seeks Clarity from Centre on Junk Food Regulations to Protect Children
- •Health Minister K Muraleedharan announced that Keralam will write to the FSSAI seeking early finalisation of rules to identify and regulate foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
- •The state highlighted that the absence of a precise scientific definition for junk food creates uncertainty in prohibiting its sale on school premises.
- •FSSAI had published draft regulations proposing specific limits for fat, sugar and salt in solid and liquid foods.
- •Keralam is actively implementing initiatives like Eat Right School and SNF@School to promote healthy eating habits and safe food access among children.
Key Questions Answered
Keralam is seeking clarity from the FSSAI on the early finalisation of proposed rules to identify and regulate foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. Health Minister K Muraleedharan stated that the absence of a precise scientific definition creates uncertainty over which products to include and how to regulate their sale around school premises.
On August 7, the FSSAI published draft regulations proposing limits for solid foods containing more than 4.2 grams of fat, three grams of sugar, and 0.625 grams of salt per 100 grams. For liquid foods, the proposed thresholds are more than 1.5 grams of fat, two grams of sugar, and 0.175 grams of salt per 100 millilitres.
Keralam has implemented the Eat Right School initiative in 169 schools to ensure food safety, hygiene, and balanced nutrition in canteens. Additionally, the SNF@School programme has been introduced in 2,500 schools to provide children with practical nutrition knowledge.
