MUMBAI, Aug. 1 -- Schools across the city have begun removing junk food from their canteens after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed educational institutions to stop storing and selling food items high in fat, salt and sugar. The move has prompted schools to overhaul canteen menus, phasing out long-popular items such as vada pav, burgers and French fries. Several schools have issued circulars urging parents to send healthy home-cooked meals in their children's lunch boxes. Sonali Gandhi, principal of Jamanabai Narsee School in Vile Parle, said the school immediately withdrew all prohibited items from its canteen. A circular issued by the school said snacks such as samosas, vada pav, French fries and potato swirls have been discontinued. Rev. Fr. Dr. Thomson Kinny, secretary of the Archdiocese Board of Education and principal of St. John the Baptist High School and Junior College in Thane, said the school implemented the FDA directive immediately. The school has stopped serving fried and high-calorie foods such as vada pav and burgers, besides banning cold drinks and aerated beverages on campus. The revised canteen menu now includes healthier options such as poha, upma, and idli. "Students were recently served sweet corn and boiled peanuts, and the response was positive," Kinny said. The school has also appointed teachers as nodal officers to oversee implementation of the new norms and selected students as Health and Wellness Ambassadors to promote healthy eating among their peers. Meanwhile, St. Mary's ICSE, ISC and International School in Mazagaon has informed parents that chocolates, sweets, and other packaged junk food will not be permitted during birthday celebrations on campus. Parents have also been urged to discourage children from buying such food from shops within 50 metres of the school, where the sale and promotion of these products is now prohibited....