State govt sets guidelines for entire process, from procurement of raw material to distribution of food at schools; school managements have been asked to scrutinise raw material, like rice grain, sent by vendors
School authorities must taste the food before serving it to the students. Representational pic/iStock
Taking cognisance of food poisoning cases caused by midday meals served at schools, the Maharashtra Department of School Education and Sports has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that demands vigilance from school management committees, government education officials, and even the health department.
According to the government notice, oversights like inadequate hygiene in kitchens, deviation from prescribed recipes, open kitchens, adulteration, careless transportation and distribution, use of low-quality or expired ingredients, improper storage, use of preservatives, and spoilage by heat, among other factors, often lead to symptoms of food poisoning. Young students can experience distressing symptoms such as nausea, fever, diarrhoea, and weakness.
To prevent such a scenario, the department has released crucial SOPs that account for the entire process — right from acquiring raw materials to auditing the prepared food that arrives at schools.
School managements have been asked to scrutinise raw material, like rice grain, sent by vendors. At the same time, the premises are to be free of insects, rodents, and other animals that may contaminate the food. The authorities must also prominently display other related information in the school, like telephone numbers of the primary health centre, rural hospital, fire brigade, or local police station. Additionally, cooks and helpers are to undergo regular health checkups, and the school must never serve outside food under this particular scheme.
The SOP also underlines a few measures already being followed by many Mumbai schools. One such practice involves school authorities tasting the food before serving it to the students. “We taste the food every day once it arrives on campus. Then and only then is it served to the students, who eagerly line up with their empty tiffins. Usually, we serve the midday meals in the serving hal,l but we move outdoors when the weather is pleasant. So far, we have had no cases of food poisoning at our school,” said Fr Norbert D’Souza, principal of St Pius School, Mulund.
The schools are also to store a sample of the distributed meal in an airtight container for 24 hours, in case of any mishaps. Many institutions constitute a midday meal committee to monitor the quality of food on a day-to-day basis. At Dr Antonio Da Silva School in Dadar, this committee comprises the principal, school teachers, and a staff member. “Even on the rainiest of days, our teachers ensure that the students are eating hot food,” said Principal Christabel D’Souza.
“At the very least, we have 800 students consuming the midday meals every day, and they seem to enjoy it,” she added.
As per the guidelines of the central government, students from Std I to Std V are to be provided with 450 calories and 12 gm of protein. Students from Std VI to Std VIII are to be provided 700-calorie meals that contain 20 gm of protein. Usually, the midday meals consist of dal and rice, khichdi, and even Bengal gram to ensure that the food is nutritious. Some schools, with a large number of Jain or vegetarian students, also distribute chikkis and bananas.
12 gm
Protein requirement set for Std I to Std V
20 gm
Protein requirement set for Std VI to Std VIII
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