Despite ban sale of junk food goes unchecked in educational institutes

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 9/13/2018 12:57:13 PM

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, Sep 12
Even after the ban on serving junk food in educational institutes, the authorities failed to implement the order in letter and spirit. As a result there are several educational institutes where burgers, pasta, hotdogs, samosas, noodles, and aerated drinks on school canteens’ menu continue to lure students in government and private schools of the city.
Although the canteen in educational institutes have to implement the menu as per the constitute committee of the school which has to decide the list of the food items to be sold in the canteens.
Talking to Young Bites correspondent Satish Mahajan said that many schools offer a wide variety of junk food, but the condition is even worse in government schools, where samosas and hotdogs are fried under a tin shade in completely unhygienic conditions.
Several students while talking to Young Bites correspondent said “From noodles to pasta, burgers to hotdogs, and different varieties of chips to cold drinks — we get everything at the school canteen. Banning junk food makes no sense, but the least the schools can do is to maintain the hygiene”
It is worthwhile to mention here that even the University Grants of Commission (UGC) too has issued a direction to universities in all states including J&K to ban sale of junk food on the university and affiliated college campuses, but flouting the direction there are several colleges where the sale of junk food is going on and authorities have failed to strictly monitor the canteens
Talking to Young Bites Correspondent Dr SS Sambyal said that junk food has little nutritional value and is usually high in fats, sugar and salt. Popular items on menus of canteens in colleges and schools such as potato chips, aerated drinks, samosas, chocolates, burgers and pizzas are categorised a junk food.
He added that that there is urgent need to be taken for ensuring sale of hygienic food and provide students knowledge about food allergies, food borne diseases, balanced diet, and personal hygiene, in the campuses., and authorities must ask the canteen managers to display list of negative foods (junk food) and positive foods (safe and nutritious foods) with colour codes at a prominent place and always have in store not less than 80 percent of positive foods in the stock.
There should be inspection of canteens, mess and sampling of food or meals periodically and record book of the same maintained.

 

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