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Protecting children’s health, a shared responsibility
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Monday, 20 October, 2025, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Ashwin Bhadri
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Schools are meant to be places of learning, growth, and well-being. But in many urban Indian classrooms, what children eat every day may be quietly undermining their health and development. Packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant noodles, and other ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a regular part of lunchboxes and school canteens. They’re convenient, tasty, and cheap, but they come at a steep cost.
Ultra-processed foods are not just “packaged snacks.” They are industrially formulated products designed for long shelf life and addictive taste. Chips, candies, sweetened cereals, soft drinks, and even some “health drinks” fall into this category. Studies show that children who consume more UPFs gain weight faster, develop weaker immunity, experience gut issues, and may even underperform academically.
India faces a dual nutrition challenge. In rural areas, malnutrition remains a pressing concern. But in cities, childhood obesity is rising at alarming rates. Government programmes like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and PM-POSHAN have helped fight hunger, but they often lack nutritional balance, with meals high in starch and low in protein and micronutrients. In private schools, fried snacks, sugary beverages, milkshakes, and packaged foods dominate canteens. Peer influence and aggressive marketing further cement unhealthy eating habits.
California recently addressed this challenge head-on. By banning the worst ultra-processed foods from school lunches, the state sent a strong message: children deserve meals that support their growth, immunity, and learning. India does not need to copy California exactly, but the lesson is clear policy intervention is critical to protect the health of young learners.
What the World is Doing
India is not alone in facing this crisis. Several countries have begun to act decisively against UPFs in schools:
California (USA): Recently, it became the first U.S. state to ban ultra-processed foods in school lunches, setting a precedent for public health policy.
Chile: Introduced bold front-of-pack warning labels for high-sugar, high-fat foods and restricted junk food marketing to children.
Brazil: Issued national dietary guidelines explicitly warning against UPFs, integrating these into education policies.
UK: Implemented a sugar tax on sweetened beverages, reducing sales significantly.
India does not need to copy these approaches wholesale. But the message is clear: policy intervention works, and waiting longer risks an entire generation’s health.
A Roadmap for India
How can India address the rising wave of UPFs in schools? A structured, phased strategy is essential:
1. Stronger Regulation
Move beyond voluntary advisories to legally binding restrictions on the sale and availability of UPFs in and around schools. The FSSAI’s “Eat Right School” initiative is a good start but needs enforcement teeth.
2. Stepwise Implementation
Begin with the worst offenders: sugary drinks, packaged fried snacks, and artificially flavoured junk foods. Over time, expand the policy to cover other harmful categories.
3. Nutrition-Focused School Policies
Introduce Healthy Canteen Certifications to incentivise schools to serve nutritious meals. Schools should have access to menus designed by nutritionists, prioritising balanced meals over profit-driven options.
4. Harnessing Local Food Traditions
India has an incredible diversity of wholesome grains, pulses, fruits, and regional recipes. Ragi laddoos, sprout chaat, roasted chana, millet-based snacks can replace chips and colas if made affordable and appealing.
5. Education & Awareness
Children must be part of the solution. Interactive nutrition clubs, hands-on cooking sessions, and gamified apps can help students learn about food choices in fun, engaging ways.
What Food Companies and Founders Can Do
Food manufacturers and founders have a direct role in shaping healthier habits:
Product reformulation: Reduce sugar, salt, and artificial additives in popular snacks and beverages.
School-compliant offerings: Develop products specifically designed to meet nutritional guidelines for children.
Ingredient innovation: Harness local, nutrient-rich ingredients to make snacks appealing and wholesome.
Responsible marketing: Avoid advertising unhealthy products to children and promote transparency in labelling.
Partnerships: Work with schools and regulators to create healthy menus and raise awareness among families.
Parents and children are not powerless. Choosing meals thoughtfully, avoiding packaged snacks as a regular habit, and demanding better quality from schools and stores can create consumer-driven change. Technology can also help: ingredient traceability, testing kits, and AI-driven monitoring of supply chains make it easier to detect and prevent unhealthy products from reaching schools.
Schools, regulators, food companies, and families all have a role to play. Protecting children’s health is a shared responsibility, and the time to act is now. By prioritising wholesome, transparent, and safe foods, India can ensure that every school meal supports the growth, learning, and long-term well-being of its children.
(The author is founder & CEO, Equinox Labs)
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