The Maharashtra public well being division has issued a major directive mandating the supply of wholesome meals and drinks in all authorities canteens and official occasions to fight rising non-communicable illnesses and promote higher dietary habits.
IMAGE: A view of the 3000 kg ‘Tarri Poha’ being ready by Chef Vishnu Manohar on the event of World Poha Day 2026, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, June 7, 2026. {Photograph}: ANI Video Seize
Key Factors
- Maharashtra public well being division mandates wholesome meals and drinks in all authorities canteens and official occasions.
- The directive goals to cut back ultra-processed meals consumption and promote gadgets low in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fat.
- Menu tips, based mostly on ICMR-NIN and FSSAI, counsel choices like millet khichdi, sprouts, seasonal fruits, and conventional drinks.
- New catering contracts should embrace provisions for wholesome menus, with inspection committees and nodal officers making certain implementation.
- The initiative seeks to fight rising non-communicable illnesses and enhance well being consciousness amongst authorities workers.
Wholesome meals and drinks like millet khichdi, sprouts curry and solkadhi have to be made out there in any respect authorities canteens and in official conferences or occasions, an order issued by the Maharashtra public well being division on Wednesday mentioned.
The directive, issued by a Authorities Decision (GR), additionally referred to as for gradual discount in ultra-processed meals and gadgets containing extreme sugar, salt and unhealthy fat.
New Wholesome Menu Pointers
The “wholesome menu” might be designed as per the rules of the Indian Council of Medical Analysis-Nationwide Institute of Vitamin (ICMR-NIN) and Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI) with emphasis on meals low in salt, sugar and oil.
The menu tips accompanying the GR steered seasonal fruits, roasted or boiled chickpeas and peanuts, sprouts, vegetable poha, idli-sambar, vegetable upma, millets khichdi, boiled eggs, nuts and seeds for brief conferences and refreshments.
Urged drinks embrace coconut water, buttermilk, solkadhi, unsweetened milk, lemon water with restricted sugar or jaggery, and unsweetened inexperienced or natural tea.
Complete Meal Choices
For half-day or full-day programmes, the GR steered a menu together with jowar, bajra or ragi bhakri, multigrain chapati, hand-pounded or brown rice, dal or ‘usal’, leafy and seasonal greens cooked with restricted oil, curd or buttermilk, salads, fruit as a substitute of sweets, low-oil khichdi, vegetable pulao, paneer, sprouts-based curry, and correctly cooked fish, hen or mutton.
Guaranteeing Implementation and Oversight
Authorities departments have additionally been requested to incorporate particular provisions for wholesome menus in new meals and catering contracts.
There might be a menu inspection committee to supervise the implementation of the order in departmental canteens, and a nodal officer may also be appointed.
There ought to be periodic audits of canteens in coordination with the Meals and Drug Administration, the GR mentioned. Catering and meals procurement contracts should require that details about dietary content material of meals gadgets is displayed.
Addressing Public Well being Considerations
The intention is to extend well being consciousness and assist scale back danger elements for non-communicable illnesses whereas enhancing effectivity and productiveness, the order mentioned.
The general public well being division cited the rising incidence of diabetes, hypertension, weight problems, coronary heart illness and different non-communicable illnesses within the state as a critical public well being concern, attributing it to altering existence, sedentary work patterns, rising stress, unbalanced diets and larger consumption of processed and ultra-processed meals.
The order applies to all Maharashtra authorities departments, directorates, commissioners’ places of work, district collectorates, Zilla Parishads, municipal firms and municipalities, authorities coaching establishments, government-aided autonomous our bodies and all authorities canteens.
