Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has imposed a ban on the sale of junk food in school canteens across the state, where ‘High in Fat, Salt and Sugar’ (HFSS) meals were being sold to children.

Concerned about poor eating habits of schoolchildren, the government plans to encourage schools to offer more healthy and nutritional foods.

A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Monday evening listed 12 items — ranging from deep fried food like potato chips and noodles, to carbonated drinks, burgers, cakes, and other items — that contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar.

The listed items can no longer be sold in school canteens.

The resolution also included all kinds of toffees, chocolates and candies.

On the other hand, the resolution said schools should provide healthy items on their menus, such as vegetables, cereals and pulses.

Vegetable sandwiches, coconut water as well as sweet dishes like halva, made out of wheat, are among other items on the list. So is milk and milk products like curd, lassi and buttermilk.

Doctors and nutritionists have welcomed the move saying it was high time children were taken off junk food, although it was OK for them to enjoy a treat once in a while.

The resolution said the Union government had set up a Task Force under the chairmanship of the Director of National Nutrition Institute, Hyderabad, to promote consumption of healthy food by children in schools and ban sale of junk food.

Among several recommendations, the task force had in its report said that junk food containing high levels of fat, salt and sugar and very little nutritional value leads to obesity, dental diseases, diabetes and heart ailments in later life.

Concerned by the growing trend of unhealthy eating habits among schoolchildren, the state government took note of the recommendations and decided to impose the ban on junk food in school canteens, the GR stated. It also called for creating awareness among children on eating nutritional food as well as asking schools to counsel children.

Obesity among children is becoming a worldwide phenomenon and last month, the World Health Organisation launched a new tool for monitoring the marketing of food and beverages to children via television and the internet. The new protocol was developed after the WHO report on Ending Childhood Obesity recommended restrictions on marketing of HFSS foods to children across all media.