PANJIM: With schools set to reopen on Monday and the monsoon approaching, the Education Department has issued an advisory to midday meal contractors to strictly practice hygiene and serve hot nutritional food to students.
Education Director G P Bhat has asked the contractors to abide by the food safety and hygiene guidelines or face action. The circular comes in the wake of increasing complaints of poor hygiene and substandard quality of cooked food during the monsoon.
“Complaints about food poisoning increase from July to September which might be attributed to contaminated food grains, other raw materials or due to failure in conducting a thorough sanitization of kitchen premises and utensils,” he said.
The contractors, including self help groups, he said, have been asked to be extra careful while maintaining the cleanliness of the cooking place and hygiene condition of the cooked food that would be served. “Children are very sensitive to unhygienic food and show very fast reaction after consumption. The midday meal suppliers should serve hot food containing appropriate weight and nutritional value as prescribed (under the Mid Day Meal Scheme),” Bhat added.
To ensure that the instructions are followed, education officials will be deputed to kitchens and schools for surprise inspections to assess the quality of the meals. “They will prepare and submit a report to the department after every inspection,” the officer said. The department has warned of strict action against the violators.
The government had introduced chapatti-bhaji under the revised scheme. It was made an optional meal as Self Help Groups and Mahila Mandals are at liberty to serve pao/poli-bhaji through the week. Chapatti-bhaji had replaced pulao, which was often remained uneaten by students.
