Mumbai, July 29 -- The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday issued a statewide directive mandating schools to ensure safe, nutritious and balanced food for students, with a ban on the sale, advertisement and promotion of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) foods within school premises and a 50-metre radius of school gates.
The order applies to government, aided, private and residential schools affiliated with the State Board, CBSE, ICSE and other boards, covering students from pre-primary to secondary levels. It also includes school hostels, canteens, tuck shops, mid-day meal centres and PM-POSHAN kitchens.
Under the directive, all food vendors and operators functioning in schools must possess valid registration or lice...