The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a fresh order to strengthen enforcement against the sale of prohibited items near schools and introduce food standards for educational institutions, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said on Friday.

Mundhe said the order, expected in the coming days, will focus on preventing the sale of products such as gutkha and cigarettes within a 500-metre radius of schools. He said school principals also have a responsibility to ensure compliance.

The FDA will issue food standards for schools within the next eight to ten days, covering food quality, nutrition standards and recommended diets for students.

Assistant commissioner-rank FDA officers have been directed to participate in teacher training programmes organised by the School Education Department to educate teachers on food safety regulations and the food items permitted and prohibited on school premises.

Referring to a June 30 directive issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Mundhe said companies can no longer market beverages as “energy drinks” because no such category exists under the regulator’s food classification. He said companies, including PepsiCo and Red Bull, have been instructed to remove the term from product labels in line with the directive.

Mundhe said such beverages are not recommended for people below 18 years of age or pregnant women. While there is no ban on their sale or consumption, he urged parents to make children aware of the potential health concerns.

He also said the FDA has proposed 25 reforms to strengthen food safety enforcement by tracing adulteration to its source rather than relying solely on sample testing.

Mundhe added that there is no ban on the sale of raw milk, provided vendors comply with prescribed regulations. He said the FDA has introduced improved laboratory management practices at its three testing facilities to prioritise samples of prohibited food items, milk and milk products, with test reports now being generated in under 14 days.

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