A critical comparison of the Indian school food and nutrition guidelines with the WHO-nutrition friendly school initiative and the review of existing implementation scenario

Background: The school-based food and nutrition guidelines approach has the potential to combat undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among children and adolescents and set the foundation for a healthy adult lifestyle. Aim: To critically compare the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) guidelines to gauge the strengths and limitations. Additionally, to summarize the existing studies on implementing school food and nutrition guidelines. Methods: Policy documents of the above guidelines were critically evaluated, and narrative analysis was conducted. An electronic search was conducted for full-text research articles published in the English language between January 2007 to September 2021 in Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases. Results: Upon critical comparison of the three guidelines, it was found that the NFSI and FSSAI guidelines shared similarities in many components and the FSSAI guidelines, if implemented adequately, could improve the school food environment and combat the triple malnutrition burden in India. After screening the articles based on the eligibility criteria, 11 studies were included in the preparation of the review. Studies reported partial or inadequate implementation and poor compliance with the guidelines or approach. A few studies identified barriers to guideline implementation. Conclusion: Implementation of school food and nutrition guidelines could improve the nutritional outcomes in children and adolescents. To sustain the effective implementation, adequate resources and preparedness are essential in low-and middle-income countries, including India.