Mumbai schools are making significant changes to their canteen menus following a crackdown by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on junk food and unhealthy food items sold in and around educational institutions.
Popular snacks such as vada pav, samosas and aerated soft drinks are being removed from school canteens and replaced with healthier options, including idli, dosa, poha, sheera and upma.
Traditional beverages such as buttermilk (taak) and lassi are also being offered instead of carbonated drinks.
The move follows the Maharashtra FDA's push to ensure that schools comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020.
Under the regulations, schools are expected to restrict the sale of High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) foods on their premises and within a 50-metre radius of school campuses.
Schools have also been instructed to report vendors who continue selling restricted food items near their premises. While schools are responsible for reporting violations, they do not have the authority to remove vendors themselves.
In rural areas, school authorities can seek assistance from gram panchayats and sarpanchs when dealing with vendors who fail to follow the rules.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has directed officials to ensure that the regulations are implemented effectively across Maharashtra.
According to reports, Mundhe held an online meeting with Zilla Parishad chief executive officers and the Education Commissioner to review compliance, particularly in rural areas. Officials were reportedly asked to implement the guidelines within a week and conduct awareness programmes for principals, headmasters and members of school food committees.
The FDA has also urged school authorities, teachers and parents to report violations if they notice restricted or unsafe food being sold around educational institutions.
The impact of the initiative is already visible in Mumbai. Schools are replacing fried and heavily processed snacks with more traditional and nutritious foods.
Schools run by the Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE), for example, have removed vada pav and samosas from their canteen menus. They are now offering options such as idli, dosa, poha, sheera and upma.
Aerated beverages have also been taken off the menu, with healthier choices such as buttermilk and lassi being introduced.
The changes are not limited to canteens. Schools across Mumbai are also communicating with parents about the food children bring in their tiffin boxes, encouraging healthier eating habits.
To improve compliance and spread awareness about the regulations, the Mumbai Education Department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) organised an awareness programme for school representatives.
Around 900 representatives from government and private schools, along with approximately 50 midday meal suppliers, reportedly participated in the programme.
The initiative aims to ensure that school authorities, food suppliers and other stakeholders understand the regulations and their responsibilities under the food safety guidelines.
The latest action reflects a broader effort to improve children's access to safe and nutritious food at school. By reducing the availability of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, authorities hope to encourage healthier eating habits among students.
With stricter enforcement now underway, Mumbai schools are increasingly moving away from popular but less nutritious snacks and towards traditional foods such as idli, poha, dosa and upma.
The FDA's campaign also places greater responsibility on schools, parents and local authorities to identify and report violations, extending the focus on healthy food beyond the school canteen and into the surrounding school zone.
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