Mid-day meal-related food poisoning cases at six-year peak
- In 2022, 979 victims of food poisoning were reported in schools across India, the highest in the last six years.
- The number declined during the pandemic years as schools were closed.
Mid-day meal and food poisoning
- In the last 13 years, at least 9,646 cases of food poisoning were reported.
- ~ 12% of such victims became ill after consuming mid-day meals in which lizards, rats, snakes and cockroaches were found.
- Reasons for low standards of mid-day meal preparation
- Poor infrastructure
- Insufficient inspections
- Irregular licensing
- Limited reporting
- Absence of feedback mechanisms.
Issues
- The Food Safety Commissioner did not have information relating to food poisoning cases that occurred during the 2014-19 period.
- The CAG found that an instance involved 110 food poisoning cases that occurred in August 2014, in a school in Hoshangabad district.
- As data were not collected, action was not taken against responsible Food Business Operators (FBOs).
- Food delivered from centralised kitchens to schools should have a minimum temperature of 65°C when it is served.
- In 2018, the CAG observed that the food served by the NGOs was not hot .
- CAG also found that there was over 80% shortfall in inspections of schools carried out by Deputy Collectors due to shortage of staff.
- 2017 - the CAG found that licence and registration certificates were given to 97% and 100% of FBOs, without inspecting their premises.
Prelims Takeaway
- CAG
- Mid day meal scheme