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Tamil Nadu has banned the manufacture, storage and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw eggs for a period of one year with effect from April 8. The ban, issued in the interest of public health, is on the basis that mayonnaise made of raw eggs is a “high risk food”, carrying a risk of food poisoning.

According to a notification issued in the Government Gazette by Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety R. Lalvena, any activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, food services, catering services and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw egg is prohibited in the State under section 30 (2) (a) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and order of the Commissioner of Food Safety of Tamil Nadu.

Mayonnaise is a semi-solid emulsion generally composed of egg yolk, vegetable oil, vinegar and other seasonings served along with food items such as shawarma. Mayonnaise made of raw eggs is a high-risk food as it carries a risk of food poisoning especially from Salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli and Listeria Monocytogenes, the notification said.

It has come to notice that a number of food business operators use raw egg for preparation of mayonnaise, improper storage facilitates contamination by microorganisms that creates a public health risk particularly by Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli and Listeria Monocytogenes, it said.

In any specific circumstances, on the basis of assessment of available information and if the possibility of harmful effects on health is identified but scientific uncertainty persists, provisional risk management measures to ensure that health is protected can be adopted as per the Act, pending further scientific information for a more comprehensive risk assessment.

The notification said that no food business operator should manufacture, store, sell or distribute any food which for the time being is prohibited by the Food Authority or the Central Government or State government in the interest of public health.

The study introduced, a school-based, culturally adapted dance program aimed at reducing risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adolescent girls in India.
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To tackle rising physical inactivity and associated health concerns among adolescents in India, a research team from Chennai conducted a study introducing a dance-based intervention to reduce non-communicable disease (NCD) risks among urban adolescent girls.

Published in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology on April 21, the study titled A Novel High-Intensity Short Interval Dance Intervention (THANDAV) for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Tailored to Asian Indian Adolescent Girls assesses the feasibility and efficacy of the THANDAV programme – short for Taking High-Intensity Interval Training And Dance to Adolescents for Victory over NCDs. It was led by R.M. Anjana, managing director of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre and president of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, in Chennai.

Design and delivery of the THANDAV model  

Dr. Anjana explained how this new dance-based program can help young girls in India become more active. She also addressed the cultural barriers often associated with traditional forms of exercise. “This is the first-of-its-kind and culturally appropriate dance intervention designed to boost physical activity among girls. In our country, the term ‘exercise’ often has negative connotations and isn’t always culturally accepted, especially for girls. So we introduced dance to make it more enjoyable and relevant,” she said.

The study was carried out in two government-aided schools in Chennai, involving 108 adolescent girls aged 13 to 15. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Those in the intervention group engaged in a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) dance programme, consisting of ten-minute sessions conducted five times a week during school hours. The routine incorporated traditional Indian dance forms and music for cultural familiarity and appeal. The control group continued with routine physical education, which served as a comparative benchmark for physical activity and health-related outcomes. 

“We started with a small pilot study to prove that it was a high-intensity activity. Now, we’ve taken it to schools through a randomised controlled trial, and the results have been very encouraging. The girls loved it, their mothers joined in, and we saw real health improvements — like reduced body fat, better metabolic profiles, increased step counts, and overall lifestyle changes,” Dr. Anjana said.

Key outcomes and statistical insights  

The study reports several statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups across multiple physical and metabolic indicators after 12 weeks. Girls in the THANDAV group showed a substantial increase in physical activity, averaging 1,159 additional steps per day. Reductions in body mass index (BMI), total body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio were also observed, suggesting improved metabolic health. 

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The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) launched new competency-based curricula for 10 allied healthcare professions in collaboration with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP).

The curricula will cover a broad spectrum of professions, such as Physiotherapy; Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health; Optometry; Nutrition and Dietetics; Dialysis Therapy Technology and Dialysis Therapy; Radiotherapy Technology; Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology; Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology; Health Information Management; and Physician Associates.

Aimed at bringing uniformity to training of allied healthcare professionals across the country, the new curricula is designed to produce globally competent professionals to address the increasing prevalence of diseases and the growing demand for allied services.

“India is skilling its healthcare professionals not just for India, but for the international market,’’ said the Union Health Ministry.

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that the comprehensive revision and standardisation of the curricula represent a pivotal step toward establishing consistency in educational content and delivery.

“India is skilling its healthcare professionals not just for India, but for the globe. The curricula launched today will set a benchmark for the quality of healthcare professionals across various faculties. These professions play a crucial role in preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare. This initiative is expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness of skill-based training, better align educational outcomes with industry needs, and promote greater career mobility and professional recognition for allied health professionals nationwide,” she said.

The Ministry maintained that the success of these curricula depends not only on their design and content but also on the strength of the systems that support their rollout, including adequate institutional preparedness, faculty training, infrastructure development, and continuous monitoring to uphold quality standards.

“Digital modules of the curriculum will be crowdsourced to make them available to all for their capacity building so that the vision of Swastha Bharat [Healthy Bharat] can be promoted,’’ the Health Secretary added.

The Ministry has also emphasised the critical importance of establishing robust regulatory mechanisms and investing in capacity building to ensure the effective implementation of the newly developed curricula.