No Junk Food Near Schools As Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Panel Seeks 50-Metre Healthy Food Zone

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MPSCPCR) has demanded a ban on the sale and advertisement of high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar and ultra-processed food items in schools, colleges, student hostels and within a 50-metre radius of educational institutions.

Commission chairperson Nivedita Sharma has written to school education minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh raising this demand.

In the letter, the Commission highlighted children's changing eating habits as a serious concern, noting that packaged and highly processed foods, sugary drinks, fried snacks and items high in salt and fat are increasingly becoming part of their daily diet.

The Commission has recommended establishing clear standards and a list of healthy, nutritious food items to be served in canteens, cafeterias, hostels and food outlets operating on the campuses.

It recommended formulating an inter-departmental action plan involving health, school education, women and child development, food safety, urban administration, panchayat and rural development departments.

Preventing the easy availability of foods that adversely affect children's eating habits and health is essential for their overall development.

Improving eating habits at the school level can play an important role in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other lifestyle-related health issues in the future, Sharma said.