Mangaluru, 19 July

The Karnataka government is considering banning junk food from school and hospital canteens to promote healthier eating habits, Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader said on Saturday.

Speaking after a review meeting at the District Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, Khader said, “There should be a complete ban on junk food in school and hospital canteens. Let the process begin at District Wenlock Hospital so that it can serve as a model for other government and private hospitals to follow”.

He noted that majority of lifestyle-related health issues stemmed from the consumption of junk food.  

Khader said that the government was also considering banning the sale of junk food around schools for students between the Classes of 1 to 10 and that “healthy food” should be made available in schools and hospitals.

“The Food Safety Act provides sufficient powers to regulate and curb the sale of unsafe and unhealthy food,” he added.

The government will also upgrade existing food testing laboratories and establish a new laboratory in Bengaluru to strengthen food safety compliance under a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) model. The Minister added that the government is also considering amending the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and Other Staff) Act, 2011, asking “if doctor or staff is willing to go from city to village, why should we stop him?”