Indian government asks PepsiCo to develop healthy products for schoolchildren

PepsiCo, the American multinational food and drink company, has spoken to the Indian government about the need to develop healthy food choices that children can carry to school, as well as other food products that can be distributed in rural areas as part of the government’s Midday Meal Scheme.

The scheme was devised to help improve the enrolment, retention, and attendance of children in school, while also improving their nutrition levels. Nearly 107 million children in 1.2 million schools across the country currently benefit from hot meals prepared by more than 2.5 million cooks and helpers from historically underprivileged communities (the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, and other backward class communities). However, the scheme has had its share of controversy, with reports of children having died after allegedly eating contaminated meals.1

PepsiCo is one of the largest food and drink businesses in India. Along with the soft drinks that it is famous for, PepsiCo also offers healthier choices in the Indian market, such as the high fibre Quaker Oats breakfast cereal.

On 26 August PepsiCo’s chair, Indra Nooyi, met with Harsimrat Kaur Badal, India’s minister for food processing industries. Nooyi said that the company planned to double its investment in the food processing sector while endeavouring to provide healthier and more nutritious choices. The government asked PepsiCo to reduce the sugar content in its soft drinks, a ministry statement said.

However, just a few days after the meeting, the Ministry of Human Resource Development said that it did not support any proposal that endorsed the inclusion of processed food in the Midday Meal Scheme, although it recognised that companies could look to develop healthy food products that urban mothers, in particular, could include in their children’s meals.2

PepsiCo declined to comment to The BMJ about the discussions.