Central govt given 3 months to frame rules restricting sale of junk food in schools

New Delhi, July 31

The Delhi High Court gave the Central Government three months’ time on Friday to enforce guidelines on restricting sale of junk food in and around schools.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath told the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) agreed to extend the previous deadline which lapsed on Friday after the government sought more time to implement the guidelines.

Accepting the draft guidelines for restriction on sale of junk food in and around schools, the court gave FSSAI three months’ to draw up and implement its regulations on February 25.

The bench had also directed the CBSE, under which most schools come, to consider including compliance of the guidelines as a condition for being affiliated with it.

Under the guidelines, food high in fat, salt and sugar cannot be sold within 50 metres of school premises.

The court's order came on a PIL filed in 2010 by NGO Uday Foundation flagging the easy access of junk food and carbonated drinks to children and seeking a ban on their sale in schools. The FSSAI guidelines will apply to the whole country. — PTI