Maharashtra FDA Enforces 50-Metre Junk Food Ban Around All Schools

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale, advertisement and free distribution of junk food within 50 metres of every school in the state, directly affecting nearly two crore students in 1.08 lakh schools. The order, announced by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on July 29, 2026, in Mumbai, extends earlier 2017 restrictions and enforces FSSAI's 2020 regulations that many canteens had ignored. This move targets HFSS foods linked to rising childhood obesity rates documented in NFHS surveys and the World Obesity Atlas 2026.

Maharashtra FDA Enforces 50-Metre Junk Food Ban Around All Schools

Mumbai, Maharashtra – July 30, 2026 — The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has issued a statewide order prohibiting the sale, advertisement and free distribution of junk food within 50 metres of all schools. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe announced the measure on July 29, 2026, in Mumbai, applying it to government, aided, private and residential schools affiliated with State Board, CBSE, ICSE and other boards. The ban covers children from 22 months of age up to Class 12 and is expected to reach nearly two crore students across 1.08 lakh schools.

Ban Scope and Prohibited Items

The order explicitly bans vada pav, samosas, deep-fried snacks, French fries, chips, biscuits, cold drinks, sugary beverages, caffeinated drinks, chocolates and ice cream. These items fall under the HFSS category high in fat, trans-fat, salt and sugar. Mundhe stated that excess fat, excess trans-fat and excess sugar products including deeply fried foods, excessive sugar drinks, vada pav, samosa, cold drinks, chocolates and ice cream are strictly not allowed inside schools or in the surrounding 50-metre range. Principals and school management must implement the rules and create awareness among parents.

One operational challenge is definitional: while FSSAI regulations restrict HFSS foods, Indian regulators have long struggled to fix a clear, enforceable definition of what qualifies, and the FDA has said the items considered unhealthy for students are listed on its website. The practical list named by the commissioner — from street staples like vada pav and samosas to packaged chips, biscuits, cold drinks and ice cream — gives schools and vendors a concrete reference point, even as nutritionists debate whether the framing should rest on nutrient thresholds rather than item-by-item proscription.

What This Means for India

The policy directly connects to FSSAI's Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020, gazette notified on September 4, 2020 and in force since 2021. Many school canteens had not complied, prompting the July 27-28 compliance order. School canteens, tuck shops and mid-day meal centres must now obtain mandatory FSSAI registration or licences, with schools running their own canteens required to secure an FDA licence. This framework supports ICMR-NIN dietary recommendations and the Eat Right School initiative already adopted by 3,567 schools where 4,919 teachers have been trained.

The Maharashtra order aligns with FSSAI 2020 regulations that classify school authorities selling or catering meals as Food Business Operators, extending oversight to canteens, hostels and the PM POSHAN scheme. This creates a uniform licensing requirement across government, aided and private institutions, closing gaps that allowed many operators to bypass registration since the rules took effect in 2021. By mandating compliance at the school level, the policy integrates ICMR-NIN dietary standards into daily operations and supports the Eat Right School initiative already active in thousands of institutions. The 50-metre perimeter further addresses external sales that previously undermined internal restrictions, though street vendors and small tuck shops remain difficult to monitor consistently. Implementation therefore depends on coordinated district-level workshops and sustained engagement with local authorities to translate regulatory intent into measurable reductions in HFSS exposure for the state's 20 million students.

Historical Context and Prior Measures

Maharashtra first banned junk food in school canteens in May 2017, prohibiting wafers, chips, noodles, pizza, candies, chocolates, jams, jellies and aerated drinks. The 2026 order expands the restricted zone to 50 metres outside campuses and adds mandatory licensing. An ICMR-led policy brief had recommended banning junk food in and around schools while tightening canteen regulations, aligning with the current enforcement push.

The announcement sits inside a wider FDA enforcement drive. Within weeks of the school order, the regulator suspended food licences of three eateries in Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar and Umarkhadi over hygiene lapses, and its broader crackdown touched prominent city clubs, including the Cricket Club of India, MIG, Willingdon and Juhu Gymkhana. The Bombay High Court has since asked the FDA to take a realistic view in enforcement, a reminder that the agency's aggressive posture — now aimed at school gates — will be watched for both public-health impact and regulatory overreach.

Health Data and Rising Obesity Trends

NFHS-5 (2019-21) recorded 4.3 per cent of children under five in Maharashtra as overweight. NFHS-6 (2023-24) showed overweight or obese adults at 30.7 per cent among women and 27.3 per cent among men aged 15-49, with high blood sugar rising to 17.8 per cent among women and 20.9 per cent among men. Districts with more than 5 per cent childhood obesity increased from 93 to 224 between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5. The World Obesity Atlas 2026 reports around 41 million Indian children aged 5-19 overweight or living with obesity, second highest globally after China, with 14 million classified as obese and childhood obesity rising at 4.8 per cent annually.

These figures capture India's double burden of malnutrition: NFHS-6 shows childhood stunting declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent even as obesity and diabetes indicators climbed, and the World Obesity Atlas 2026 notes that globally more than one-fifth of children aged 5-19 are now overweight or obese, up from 14.6 per cent in 2010. The trend underscores how school environments shape long-term metabolic health even as undernutrition persists — the reason regulators are targeting the single most controllable daily exposure for 20 million students: the food sold at the school gate.

Enforcement Mechanisms and Penalties

Food safety officers will inspect schools and collect samples at least twice a year. Schools must display food safety information boards, appoint a food safety nodal officer including a Food Safety Supervisor and Health and Wellness Ambassador, ensure safe drinking water, sanitation and scientific waste management. Violators face licence suspension or cancellation, seizure of food products and prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Principals and school management committees can also face action. Mundhe confirmed inspections will begin soon, with workshops planned at district and taluka levels.

Enforcement relies on twice-yearly inspections by food safety officers who will collect samples and verify compliance with licensing and display requirements. Schools must appoint a food safety nodal officer, a Food Safety Supervisor and a Health and Wellness Ambassador while maintaining safe drinking water, sanitation and scientific waste management. Violations trigger licence suspension or cancellation, product seizure and prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, with principals and school management committees also subject to action. The FDA plans district- and taluka-level workshops to build capacity, yet implementation faces practical constraints around monitoring informal vendors near school gates. The Bombay High Court has urged a realistic approach following recent licence suspensions in Mumbai, indicating that enforcement must balance stringency with operational feasibility to avoid disrupting legitimate small-scale food businesses while protecting students.

Expert Perspectives and Broader Implications

Health experts welcomed the ban but noted that lasting change requires healthier eating at home, nutrition education and increased physical activity. Mundhe emphasised that nutritious food during childhood forms the cornerstone of overall development and that proper nutrition, vitamins and essential nutrients remain critical. The FDA has simultaneously suspended licences of three Mumbai eateries in Bhendi Bazaar and Umarkhadi in July 2026 for hygiene violations, demonstrating parallel enforcement efforts.

Experts note that school-based restrictions achieve greater impact when paired with household dietary practices, nutrition education, physical activity promotion and limits on screen time. Food marketing directed at children continues to undermine these efforts by shaping preferences outside regulated zones. Commissioner Mundhe has framed the initiative around supporting children's physical and mental development, stressing that adequate vitamins and essential nutrients during growth years are indispensable. Parallel actions, including recent licence suspensions of Mumbai eateries for hygiene breaches, demonstrate the FDA's broader commitment to food safety. Sustained success will require addressing external marketing influences and reinforcing consistent messaging across home, school and community settings to translate regulatory measures into durable improvements in dietary patterns and reduced obesity trajectories.

The Bottom Line

The July 2026 order transforms every school in Maharashtra into an Eat Right School by combining the 50-metre ban, mandatory FSSAI licensing, twice-yearly inspections and ICMR-NIN dietary standards. With 20 million students covered and obesity trends rising at 4.8 per cent annually, the policy addresses both immediate school environments and long-term public health outcomes documented in NFHS-6 and World Obesity Atlas 2026 data.

— By Dr. Raj Patel, Staff Writer

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Reporting is based on sources cited in the article.