Burden of Packaged Food on School Children
Based on the CSE Survey ' Know Your Diet'
A press conference by Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General, CSE
Delhi High Court orders to regulate junk food consumption among school children across India. Asks the food authority to enforce its
CSE welcomes the court’s directive in the 2010 PIL filed by Uday Foundation.
There is nothing called junk food” – says the food industry. This was the contention that the industry had put forth to a committee set up in 2013 under directions from the Delhi High Court. The committee had been tasked to frame guidelines for junk food in the country. I was a member of the committee, along with extremely dedicated, committed and knowledgeable medical professionals.
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Denounce junk food. Support the cause of public health.
Most junk foods contain very high levels of trans fats, salts and sugar – which inevitably lead to severe ill health and diseases like obesity and diabetes CSE lab tests 16 major brands of foods relished by people, particularly the young: Maggi and Top Ramen noodles, MacDonald’s foods, KFC’s fried chicken and Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia, among others
NOT all trans fats are bad for health. At least not the natural ones found in ghee, butter and cheese. Scientists have found that naturally occurring trans fats in milk and meat products obtained from ruminant animals like cows and buffaloes do not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases the way industrial trans fats do. Read more
Calls for other states to follow suit
The Delhi High Court has given the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) a six month period to come out with guidelines on implementing rules to ban junk food in and around schools. The two judge bench gave the order on January 11. The next hearing is scheduled for July 25.
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