Junk food to be banned from school, college canteens

New Delhi, Oct 5: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, Sept 5 ordered the central government to ban all types of carbonated beverages and junk food from school and college canteens as it affects the health of students.

"We do not need lip service, but we want the government to take effective steps to ensure that the sale and supply of junk food is completely banned near the educational institutions," said a division bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Siddharth Mridul expressing unhappiness over the government affidavit confessing the health hazards of junk food and carbonated drink.

The bench was not happy with the affidavit filed by government. It was hearing the plea for a ban on the sale of junk food and carbonated beverages near educational institutions.

The affidavit filed by the central government on July 18, 2011 had invited suggestions from experienced agencies, organisations and institutions for issuing the guidelines for providing safe and healthy food in educational institutions.

The Health Ministry of India said that it had sent written requests to all states and union territories of India to follow the issuing guidelines to ban the carbonated beverages and junk food from school and college canteens.

Justice Sikri said, "You have written to various states governments about the harmful effects caused by consuming junk food. But this does not solve the problem as it wont prevent selling of junk food near institutional areas."

"The centre in actively engaged in dealing with the health risks that the consumption of junk food may pose to the general health of the population and more particularly the children of the country," said the central government's affidavit filed in July.

Meanwhile, the court also sought an action taken report from the government by Nov 2 and also asked the government to create an awareness campaign among the young generation about the "harmful effects of increased consumption of junk food".

OneIndia News