BJP MP flags "alarming" rise in consumption of junk food, urges govt to tighten regulation
New Delhi (PTI): Stating that the consumption of junk food has increased multifold over last few years, Rajya Sabha BJP MP Sujeet Kumar on Friday urged the government to make regulations related to packaged food more stringent, and levy additional tax to discourage people from consuming it.
Raising the issue in the House during Zero Hour, the MP from Odisha said the increase in consumption of junk food can be linked to the rise in non-communicable diseases in India.
"There is an alarming rise in consumption of junk food, which are high in salt, sugar, unhealthy fat, but offer minimal nutrition," Kumar said.
He quoted a WHO report from 2023, and said there has been a 40 times increase in consumption of packaged junk food between 2006 and 2019.
"Excessive consumption of junk food combined with poor lifestyle is one of the key reasons for increase in non-communicable diseases (NCD)," he said.
Kumar cited an ICMR report to say that NCD-related deaths increased "from 37.9 per cent in 1990 to 61.8 per cent in 2016."
"Most worrisome is that children are getting addicted because advertisements target them. Almost 41 per cent of our population are children. Demographic dividend can become dangerous if our children grow as unhealthy citizens," he said.
The MP also said that the same brands sell better quality food products with better ingredients in western countries, but sell cheaper versions in India.
"They prioritise profit over the health of Indian citizens, taking advantage of our regulatory loopholes. The government should take measures to strengthen regulations," he said.
The MP called for stricter FSSAI regulation, and urged the government to consider levying health tax on junk food. He also stressed on mentioning the ingredients in legible fonts on packaged food.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
