Various government departments will work together to ensure the quality of food being provided in schools for the noon meal scheme, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil has said.
The Minister was inspecting the quality of food materials at the Government Lower Primary School at Civil Station and St. Vincent’s Colony Girls Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode city on Monday. The inspection was against the backdrop of students taking ill in three schools across the State.
Mr. Anil said that whether these were instances of food poisoning could be confirmed only after detailed investigation.
Inspections at schools are being held by the departments of Education, Health and Food Safety. The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is examining the quality of water. A health card and training are mandatory for being appointed as cooks in schools. The officials have been asked to submit reports on the inspections in two days.
Mr. Anil said that only fresh stock of rice was being provided in schools and there were no stale stock. The Minister also sought public intervention to make safe food available in schools and requested parents to be involved in the process. The inspections would continue in the coming days, he added.
Thottathil Raveendran, MLA, and C. Rekha, chairperson, standing committee on education, Kozhikode Corporation, among others, were present.
