India takes battle against junk food to shops near schools

By Aditya Kalra and Jatindra Dash BHUBANESWAR, India, Sept 24 (Reuters) India is moving closer to new regulations to restrict the sale of foods high in fat and sugar within a 50-metre radius of schools, the latest proposal to cut the consumption of junk food in a country battling growing rates of obesity, especially among children. The rule would impact family-run stores, restaurants and food stands selling everything from sugary soft drinks and salty chips to greasy samosas and ​fatty pizzas or burgers close to India s 1.5 million schools. It could prove another hurdle for multinationals such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Nestle, which already face ‌proposed rules to put red warning labels on products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), bringing India into line with markets such as Chile and Mexico that have tougher food safety regulations. Some Indian businesses and grocery shop owners near schools are already fretting. In Bhubaneswar city in eastern India, a dozen shopkeeper