(AI image) Maharashtra government will now serve healthy food in official canteens.
The proposed “healthy menu” will be designed according to guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), with an emphasis on food low in salt, sugar and oil. Government departments have been directed to include provisions for healthy menus in new food and catering contracts. A menu inspection committee will oversee the implementation of the guidelines in departmental canteens, while a nodal officer will also be appointed. The GR further calls for periodic audits of canteens in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration. Catering and food procurement contracts must also ensure that nutritional information about food items is displayed. The department cited the rising incidence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease and other non-communicable diseases in Maharashtra as a serious public health concern. It attributed the trend to changing lifestyles, sedentary work patterns, increasing stress, unbalanced diets and the growing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai