Through a notification uploaded on 8 February 2018 the FSSAI has asked stakeholders for their views, comments, and suggestions on the proposed draft to be called the Food Safety and Standards (Safe and Wholesome Food for School Children) Regulations, 2018
The FSSAI has defined a number of phrases used in the proposed regulations like
- The balanced diet which means a diet which provides all nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It should provide around 50 60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10% to15% from proteins and 20% to 30% from both visible and invisible fat. In addition, it should provide other non-nutrients such as dietary fiber, antioxidants, which bestow positive health benefits
- Department of School Education” means a nodal department of concerned
Central/ State/ U.T that looks after the school education irrespective of nomenclature;
- “Food Business” means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, import and includes food services, catering services, a sale of food or food ingredients
- Food Business Operator” in relation to food business means a person by whom the business is carried on or owned and is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules, and regulations made thereunder
- “Schools” means all types of schools whether pre-primary, primary, elementary, secondary, daycare or boarding run by private entities, local bodies, government or aided by government
- “School campus” means, for the purpose of these regulations, all areas of the
- property under the jurisdiction of the school that is accessible to students
- School meals: means all foods sold or supplied on the school campus through
Canteens, school mess, hostel kitchens, vending machines or any other method and include all meals served through mid-day meal kitchens and catered for students by the school
“School Authority” means Head of the Institution such as Principal, Headmaster, etc. Governing Body, Trust or any other entity set up to govern and manage the school.
These regulations will also take into considerations meanings assigned to other definitions as used in the Act, rules or regulations made thereunder. 3.
Licensing, Registration, and Compliance
School Authority that sells or caters school meals will be required to take a license or registration as an FBO from the concerned licensing authority under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder.
School Authorities and Concerned School Education Departments must ensure that the Food Business Operators are registered or licensed under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations made thereunder when
- they enter into a contract or transaction with an FBO that is going to sell or cater for school meals
- when FBOs run centralized kitchens under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme
The School Authority shall
- have a system of regular inspection of premises where food is prepared including tasting and periodical testing of school meals as per guidelines issued by the concerned school education department and/ or school board
- ensure that the FSSAI License/Registration number is prominently displayed at the school canteen/mess premises or at any place within the school campus where such food is served or sold to students, along with any other information and in the format as prescribed by the Food Authority from time to time
The State Food Authorities shall
- conduct surveillance and periodic inspection of Food Business Operators so as to ensure that requirements of licensing and registration are complied with
- take up the matter with the concerned Education Department and/or Affiliation Body to take appropriate action if a School Authority, without reasonable grounds, fails to comply with the provisions of these Regulations
The Department of School Education of concerned State/UT shall ensure that the School Authority or Food Business Operator selling or catering school meals has adequate arrangements for meeting the requirements for food safety and hygiene for school meals as per Schedule I of these regulations. The requirements in Schedule I of this regulation shall be read in conjunction with Schedule IV of Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Regulation, 2011.
Promotion of Healthy Foods in School
The School Authority shall
- encourage and promote balanced diet as defined by National Institute of Nutrition per NIN in the school canteen/mess/ kitchen
- ensure that the food business operators supplying school meals in the school premise is identifying and selecting foods to be served/sold on the basis of the guideline given in Table 1 of Schedule II
- ensure that no person shall offer or expose for sale of HFSS foods to school children in school canteens/ mess premises/hostel kitchens
The School Authority or FBOs selling or catering school meals shall comply with specific labeling requirements for HFSS foods, as prescribed by the Food Authority from time to time
State Food Authorities shall ensure that no person shall offer or expose for sale of HFSS foods to school children within 50 meters of school premises.
Food Business Operators manufacturing HFSS food products shall not advertise such foods to children in school premises.
The School Authority may create a ‘School Health and Wellness Team’ and nominate a senior teacher as Health and Wellness Coordinator to coordinate and monitor the availability of safe, healthy and nutritious food.
The Food Authority or state food authority, to motivate schools to adopt a comprehensive health-promoting program, may adopt a rating system, so as to recognize schools with higher standards and encourage other schools to improve.
Institutional Structure and Framework
To formulate, coordinate, implement and monitor the policy related to ensuring safe and wholesome food for school children, suitable committees at the National, State and school level may be constituted to steer the efforts and to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for school children.
SCHEDULE 1
Safety, Sanitary & Hygienic requirements for School Meals
Premises related Information/observations:
- The premises shall be located in sanitary place and free from contaminated surroundings
- The external area of the premises shall be clean
- The premises shall be separate from a place of residence
- The spatulas/spoons etc. shall be kept clean. They should be washed, dried and kept in the clean place
- There shall be adequate and sufficient space for cooking and storing of raw materials.
- The premises shall be fly proof/insect free.
- The kitchen shall have appropriate drainage to ensure exit of all wastewater.
- Kitchen surfaces shall be tiled to facilitate easy and proper cleaning.
- The kitchen flooring shall be smooth and washable.
- The windows in the kitchen shall be provided with nylon wire mesh/net screen to prevent access of flies, insects, rodents etc.
- The ceiling in the kitchen shall be maintained clean, smooth and free from cobwebs/flaking of plaster
- The kitchen walls shall be dry and free from monsoon water leakage and free from fungus on the walls
- There shall be separate space for dishwashing of soiled utensils with continuous running water
- There shall be the separate area for drying of washed utensils and place for stocking them up
- Utensils used shall be free from metallic contamination and should not be broken/cracked utensils
- Broken/cracked utensils should not be used to avoid any metallic contamination
- The cooking shall not take in open premises to avoid contamination caused by dust
Food Handlers Information
The food handlers or cook shall
- wear clean aprons/uniform/clothes/head gears and hand gloves
- be subjected to periodic medical examination to rule out any infectious disease
- refrain from eating, chewing, smoking, spitting and blowing nose while handling food
Food & Raw Material Storage & Transportation Information
The storage space shall be
- sufficient to store raw materials
- maintained in a clean and hygienic manner
The raw materials shall be
- Stored away from walls if stored on floors
- adequately and properly labeled to avoid mix up
- stored in closed containers
- The materials that require storage under control temperature shall be appropriately stored
Vehicles used for transporting food shall be clean and in good condition
The temperature must be maintained when transporting food to the schools
Food shall be transported in clean, good and tightly closed containers.
Serving spoons used in foods served in school premises must be clean
Potable Water Availability Information
- The source of water available in the premises shall be potable in nature
- Only potable water shall be used for the preparation of food
- There shall be arrangements to supply filtered water through the water filter
- Water shall be stored in clean and closed containers
Schedule II
Colour | Availability | Examples |
Green | Always on the menu at least
80% of the food available should be from this category) |
Fresh Vegetables and fruits, cooked/prepared meals with cereals, legumes, lean meat, egg or fish, freshly made soup, cereals preferably wholegrain and/or high in fiber, porridge, low-fat milk, curd, paneer, salad, etc. 100% fruit and
vegetable juices, fruit or vegetable juices or other beverages with added water/spices etc. but with no added sugar, nuts and seeds and mixes thereof without added salt or sugar, Roasted or stir-fried vegetables, snacks boiled, baked or steamed, cereal or pulses based savoury products such as idli, upma, poha, khandvi, dhokla etc. |
Yellow | Select carefully
To be eaten occasionally in small portion size and reduced frequency |
Ice creams, milk based ices and dairy-based sweetmeats/desserts not fried, cheeses, canned and preserved vegetable, breads, biscuits, wraps, sandwiches, packaged soups & juices
other than those mentioned in Green category, packaged meat or fish products, fruits / vegetables/cereal/ pulses based snacks other than those mentioned in green category, nuts and seeds, cereal or malt-based beverages, soya milk, etc. |
Red | Discourage availability in Schools | HFSS products such as deep fried foods including French fries, fried chips, samosa, chola bhatura, gulab jamun etc.; Sugar-sweetened carbonated or non-carbonated
beverages, ready to eat noodles, pizzas, burgers, confectionery items, sugar and sugar-based products etc. |
Source: FSSAI
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