Maharashtra mandates safe, junk-free school meals across all boards
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has issued a statewide compliance order requiring all schools to provide safe and balanced food to students. The directive applies to government, aided, and private institutions, including those affiliated with the state board, CBSE, and ICSE, covering pre-primary to secondary classes, residential schools, hostels, and school canteens. It also extends to food suppliers catering to these institutions. However, creches and day-care facilities for children up to 22 months are exempt.
The order, issued by Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, aligns school food with the dietary guidelines of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN). It prioritises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and dairy products. The sale and display of high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt (HFSS) items—such as chips, fried snacks, and sugary beverages—are prohibited within school premises. Drinking water supplied on campus must also meet prescribed safety standards.
Under the order, school management is the primary entity responsible for food safety. Every school must obtain the required FSSAI license or registration, adhere to Schedule 4 hygiene standards, appoint a trained Health and Wellness Ambassador or nodal officer, display warning boards at entrances, and block HFSS advertisements on computers. Schools are also required to report any unauthorised food sales within a 50-metre radius to the local food safety officer and the concerned self-government body.
The School Education Department will serve as the institutional guarantor for implementation in government and aided schools. Its responsibilities include registering PM POSHAN suppliers, organising joint training, and submitting a compliance report by March 31 each year. State boards, CBSE, ICSE, and other boards must make adherence to the School Food Regulations compulsory for affiliation and renewal, and they are expected to act against serious violations.
Food safety officers are designated as the primary authorities for field-level implementation. They will inspect each school at least twice a year, collect food samples at least once a year, and take action against unlicensed vendors and violations within the 50-metre zone. Assistant Commissioners (Food) or designated officers will handle district-level supervision, issue improvement notices, approve prosecutions, and compile reports. Municipal corporations, municipal councils, district councils, and gram panchayats are tasked with cooperating to prevent the sale of HFSS items in the vicinity of schools.
The order also launches a statewide campaign under the theme “Safe Food – Healthy Childhood – Capable Maharashtra.” It points to changing lifestyles, aggressive marketing, and easy availability of HFSS items as growing health concerns. Regular consumption of such foods is linked to childhood obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, anaemia, reduced concentration, and a higher risk of lifestyle diseases in later life.
Each school is expected to develop a School Nutrition Policy, provide safe drinking water, conduct at least four awareness sessions per year, and set up a healthy canteen model. Parents are urged to monitor their children’s diet and report any violations, while students are encouraged to make healthy food choices. Violations will invite improvement notices, seizure of products, suspension or cancellation of licenses, prosecution, and other stringent action depending on the severity of the offence, in line with the procedures laid down in the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.
Commissioner Mundhe said the order goes beyond legal enforcement. “Children have a right to safe and balanced food. Ensuring the safety of every child’s food is the moral responsibility of society,” he stated. He added that the initiative aims to make every school a safe-food school and every student a healthy child.
