Sri Lanka Bans Junk Food and Fast Food Sales in Schools
Sri Lanka has banned the provision of fast food, sugary foods, and unhealthy snacks in schools to reduce the rising risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity among children. The new measure came into effect on Tuesday and applies to nearly four million students across the country. In this context, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, doughnuts, ice cream, biscuits, flavored milk, energy drinks, pastries, deep-fried snacks, and condiments such as ketchup have been removed from school menus.
The ministry stated that unhealthy eating habits among children increase nutritional problems and raise the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer later in life. Although reliable data on childhood diabetes, cancer, and heart disease in Sri Lanka are limited, authorities report that these health problems are on the rise.
According to government data, as of 2024, 12 percent of schoolchildren aged 13 to 17 were recorded as overweight, while 3 percent were classified as obese. This situation has led to a reconsideration of child health and school nutrition policies in the country. The Ministry of Education asked school administrators to encourage students to consume rice, fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, natural fruit juice, fresh milk, and tea or coffee with only small amounts of sugar. The ministry also shared recipes for healthy and nutritious menus that can be prepared using locally available ingredients.
The new regulation covers not only school canteens but also school events. According to the ministry’s 122-page guide, schools will not be allowed to permit companies advertising “unhealthy food” to sponsor school events.