Guidelines being framed on health food in schools, court told

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that a consultant had been tasked to frame guidelines on making available quality and safe food in schools.

The FSSAI said this in a status report during the hearing on a public interest litigation that has sought a ban on the sale of junk food near schools.

It said that AC Nielsen QRG-MARG Pvt. Ltd. has been assigned the work of framing guidelines on making available quality and safe food in the schools.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw accepted the report of the FSSAI and decided to next hear the case March 22, 2013.

The court had earlier asked the FSSAI to frame guidelines within six months on the petition seeking a ban on the sale of junk food and carbonated drinks within 1,500-foot radius of schools.

The petition by Rahul Verma and Rakesh Prabhakar of Uday Foundation said: "It is... time we change the way kids eat in schools. Such a ban will set new standards for healthy food. On the one hand, children are taught in classroom about good nutrition..., on the other, we continue to make junk food available to them."