New Delhi: The days of munching steaming hot samosas, bread pakoras and kachoris during meetings in ministries may soon be over. The Union health ministry is considering sending an advisory to all its counterparts, insisting that food high in fat be banned from canteens.
“The ministry is proposing to strike off junk food from their canteen menus and offer healthier options. We are grappling with the issue of increasing non-communicable diseases in the country and unhealthy eating is directly related to it. We will soon be sending an advisory to all the ministries to take the first step forward in this direction,” Union health secretary, C.K. Mishra, told this newspaper.
The health ministry’s move follows recommendations by the group of secretaries (GoS), formed at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While their suggestion that additional taxes be imposed on foods with added sugar, salt and saturated fats was not accepted, the principle was and the health ministry decided to start with cleaning up the menus of the ministries as a first step.
This is not the first time that the issue of “healthy eating and banning junk food” has been raised. But the urgency to ban junk from office canteens follows government reports that show an increasing trend of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
Non-communicable diseases — which include heart attacks and stroke, cancers, asthma and diabetes — claim the lives of about 5.8 million Indians every year. Or, one in four Indians risk dying from a non-communicable disease before they reach the age of 70.
“Ironically, snacks high in calories and fat are served during official meetings too. During the group of secretaries meetings too we were served samosas, even as we talk about imposing higher taxes on such food. There is an immense need to tighten the noose,” an official said.
The health ministry swung into action following a letter from the Cabinet Secretary that asked the GoS to submit a time-bound action plan, outlining how ministries have turned thoughts into action.
“This will be a first step in that direction. An action plan has to be maintained and the progress has to be monitored based on which the GoS will give its presentation to the Cabinet secretary,” the official added.
