India, Aug. 15 -- In a move aimed at making school food safer and healthier, the state school education department has directed all government, aided and unaided private schools to strictly enforce food safety norms and keep high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt (HFSS) food away from students.

The directions apply to pre-primary, primary, secondary and residential schools and come after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped up action against mid-day meal cooking centres and school canteens.

Under the new guidelines, HFSS food cannot be sold, distributed or advertised on school premises or within 50 metres of a school. Schools have also been directed to ensure that advertisements for such food do not appear on computers or other di...