Karnataka Bans Junk Food Near Schools

Karnataka restricted the sale and advertising of high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods within 50 metres of schools, effective August 1, 2026. Maharashtra had moved first, implementing an identical restriction just three days earlier on July 29, 2026.

The back-to-back state-level actions signal coordinated momentum on child nutrition policy. Both measures were developed with input from policymakers, food safety authorities, educators, and public health experts, targeting the canteen vendors, snack carts, and convenience shops that crowd school entrances across both states.

For the gola waala and chips vendor parked outside school gates, the message is clear: move back or move on. Whether enforcement matches ambition is the question regulators will now have to answer.