Mid-day Meal Program - Constant Food Safety Threat for School Kids? Some facts...

Why existing mid-day meal program will remain a food safety threat for School Kids? 

Some facts... and the way forward?

By:

Vijay Sardana

When people die by eating unsafe food, it shakes me because this is the worst form of crime. In my view, we should equate this with terrorism because people those who produce or sell unsafe food are no different than terrorists.  Both have one objective, damage the society for personal gains. These people can be found in any place from politics to public service to business to trade to footpath.

As a person with food background and with special interest in food safety and food security, let me share some scientific facts with you all. 

Those who have understanding of food safety and food handling experience can also share their views in comments section in the end of this article. 

let me present some facts, Political system and administration may deny this but facts remain. See the evidence below...

Let me show you ground reality in pictures and then I will discuss how these issues are critical food safety hazards and health risk for our young kids in schools.

Let us understand the ground reality:

What government is offering in the name of mid-day meal is....

What students are saying...

What parents are saying....

To ensure food safety in mid-day meal program or in any food program, we must ensure the following:

1. Food must be safe when sourced and source must be traceable.

2. Food must be keep in secure and hygienic condition because the food what we eat is also good food for bacteria and pathogens.

3. Room temperature in India is ideal for growth of bacteria

4. Water is the source of 80% of diseases related to stomach

5. Clean water is required to clean Utensils. 

6. Utensils must be stored in clean and hygienic environment. 

7. Person who is preparing food must have good hygienic personal habits and must cut nails, should not smoke, etc.

The current state of affairs in schools cannot ensure any of the issues mentioned above.

Supreme Court of India while passing the judgement never understood the challenges of Food safety in highly diversified and fragmented system. The Commissioners appointed by Supreme Court to advise on mid-day meal were also not competent for the job both by qualification and by experience. They were just respected citizens with non-food background. The only qualification they had was they were eating food as every other citizen.

This raises fundamental question on functioning of Supreme Court of India itself on technical matters. Judges can also make mistakes, they are not GODs. But who is stopping them to open the debate and consult the right people, in place of appointing few selected ones, on complex technical matters.  

Why Reports given by these technical experts appointed by Supreme Court is not kept for public comment before they give verdict on technical matters. Even experts and judges can be wrong on some aspects due to lack of understanding of complex ground realities. 

Now the bigger question is, 

1. Who will ensure food safety for midday meal scheme?

2. Can it be done?

Based on my understand of food safety matters, let me share few options. You are also requested to give your inputs on this complex subject so that these can be updated and suggested to concerned departments.

Let me share some examples and then give options for your kind considerations:

1. Who advised this menu? 

First of all it is not mentioned who advised these menu? This also does not mention what should be the quantity to be served to each kid?

Why this menu is risky?

Kadi from butter milk and Khir from milk are risky foods. because milk and curd are high risk food according to food science. Cooking cannot eliminate toxins and contamination from many toxic elements.  Milk is also highly perishable product and prone to food safety or health risk. Maximum adulteration in India happens in milk. How many schools have refrigerators to store the milk and curd? How school will store this in summers? 

Is kheer a balanced diet for kids? If yes, how much quantity is required to ensure balance intake? Can schools deliver as per the budget allocated to them? Think it over.

Other Items like Rice is also a major source of corruption because which grade and what quality of rice is given to or purchased by schools? 

Food Inflation will further increase adulteration and theft in mid-day meal:

Pl. note due to food inflation, the menu mentioned cannot meet the objective of balance diet to school kids?  If you add corruption factor, this is only ensuring mid-day meal for people responsible for running this system only. Schools kids are not beneficiaries and cannot be. In fact, this adulterated and substandard food will lead to sickness among kids. Is there any record to know how many kids fell sick in these schools. Why in India hospitals don't keep record of food poisoning. 

2. Where is the Kitchen in the schools for preparing mid-day meal programs?

This picture indicates either school department officers never visit the schools or they are not bothered about about hygienic preparation of food in schools. 

What is the role of school inspectors, principals, panchayats, local MLA and local member of Parliament? Why no one can see this in schools. Even if they have seen it, what actions they have taken to rectify the situation.  The only way they can ignore this if inspection teams are mentally blind or incompetent or corrupt. 

MLAs and MPs are interested in construction of roads and footpaths in active collaboration of their contractor friends, why they can't ensure hygienic kitchen in their constituencies? 

Is there any restrictions in spending Local Area Development Fund to develop proper school for kids. 

3. Where is the clean and hygienic water in schools?

Even in Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. we don't get clean water in our taps. Every household is keeping water purifier at home to ensure hygiene water. 

For schools where there are no teachers, no furniture, no kitchen, no building, no books, no blackboards, who will ensure clean water?

Interestingly mid-day meal budget is sanctioned for these schools. Where this money goes? Who is the beneficiaries of these kids mid-day meal programs? 

Can you expect any hope from these administrators and people those we fill their pocket by keeping starving kids hungry and by looting their share to fill their pocket. 

Are they human beings or terrorists in civilized world?

What is the way forward?

1. Ask every MLA and MP to ensure proper school in their area in one year's time from their Local Area development fund?

2. Supreme Court of India must review its decision to serve hot and cooked food to kids. There are better options like Boiled egg, fruits, prepared food in pre-packed packaged like distributed during natural calamities. Wherever possible cooked food must be provided by kitchens those certified by food safety authorities.  

3. In case of exports of foods from India, Government insist food safety certification is must for suppliers and traceability of food is must. 

4. Why same is not insisted upon suppliers of mid-day meal programs? Is food safety more important in exports than health and safety of kids in India? Why there is no enforcement of food safety laws in schools where mid-day meal is prepared? Reason : Food inspectors don't have "incentives" to raid a school kitchen. Otherwise, what can be the reason for them for not doing their work for which they are paid.

5. There should be minimum number of kitchens in villages. More the kitchens more the critical hazard points in food supply chain. This is common sense in food safety and food science. 

6. In place of freshly prepared food, a balanced ration in the form of pouches with pre-determined weight and recipes and in a differentiated packaging (both in material of packaging and printing of packaging) should be delivered to prevent pilferable on the way. In school, kids should be asked to just mix boiled water as per given ratio. This will ensure proper intake of balanced diet in hygienic form (if utensils are clean and water is properly boiled and filtered).

7. Any person found selling this packs in the market should be punished presence of packet in the shop itself should be evidence itself. This should be non-bailable offence. 

8. Will this stop corruption? 
NO. After all rats and pests in Indian society also needs free food. Supreme Court of India also recognised the same in its judgement. I will not mind if teachers, officers and politicians eat these meals at home and offer to their friends.   System should be such, they should not be able to sell it and make (black) money. After all, How much they will eat?  Think it over. 

9. Are these suggestions doable?

Yes. In flat 3 months. Where there is a will, there is a way.

In case of any confusion author can help any state government in putting system in place. This will also ensure mobile SMS based traceability system. Every school can inform the delivery and quality on real time basis to Chief Minister's office, ONLY IF they want to know. 

10. Is Government or Ruling party interested in reforming the system?

No. after all this is the source of (official way of tax-payers money) or fund transfer for local political functionaries in villages. After all who supplies ration or runs these school kitchens? Go and find out in your area. After all how these people got the tender, without any qualification and experience to run the kitchens. 

In FREE Market, NOTHING comes free. Politics is also part of political economy. Mid-day meal is also part of political economy like food security program (another disaster in making, wait and see what will happen to quality of food). 

10. Will existing mid-day meal mafia allow this to happen?
No. After all everyone want their share in Rs. 14,000 crore budget for mid-day meal program. 

Mid-day meal is huge business. More money goes for Mid-day meal program than many national projects. Don't you think large companies or sensible NGOs will come forward to ensure safe food to kids. 

At least the corporates and organised NGOs can be made accountable and their goodwill will also be at stake. They will be more careful to deliver food to kids. 

Let us not make mid-day meal program employment generation program at the cost of health of future of India. 

Still many will oppose because their money making shops (i.e. school kitchens) will stop. After all Rs. 14,000 Crore is not a small amount. 

Politicians, administrators and fly-by-night NGOs will NOT allow this kitty to go away so easily. After all Supere Count has given them this opportunity to eliminate their personal poverty and to satisfy their greed. It is mid-day meal for them before colourful evening.

So-what if few kids die by eating mid-day meal, anyway many die even before birth itself (due to foeticide). This is national service by corrupt system, it helps in population control.

Let us hope some sensible system will evolve to address the needs of kids in schools.  I am personally not hopeful due to lack of leadership in the country.

I will be very thankful and happy, if system proves me wrong. 

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