Junk food ban, FSSAI licence must: A ‘to-do’ list for schools amid food safety crackdown

The Maharashtra School Education Department has issued a checklist to all schools in the state, mandating the enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diet for School Children) Regulations 2020. This directive comes in the wake of the Maharashtra food safety body's recent ban on the sale of unhealthy foods in schools.

The regulations require schools to ensure all food prepared or served on their premises is safe and that all food businesses operating within the campus have valid FSSAI licences. Schools are also responsible for verifying the validity of licences held by food operators and ensuring that food operators adhere to hygiene requirements, food storage, temperature control, pest control, and waste management norms.

Additionally, schools are directed to include nutritious foods in their menus and ensure the quality of drinking water for students. The FDA, under Tukaram Mundhe, is intensifying food safety enforcement across the state.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.