Bengaluru, 12 Feb

After being served cooked mid-day meals for years, students in the State are now being fed ready-to-mix packaged food. The change in meals has led to compromise in the food’s nutritional content leading to adverse health issues in children. Many students have reportedly experienced stomach aches and nausea after consuming the meals. The bland taste of the food is forcing the students to skip the meals regularly.

The State government updated its mid-day meals menu in December, replacing home cooked food with processed mix. Though the State’s budget allocation for mid-day meals has been increasing for the past three years, Women and Child Department officials claim it has been reduced. (See box 1)With Centre claiming they have provided enough funds and the State saying they are broke, the children in anganwadis are caught in the crosshairs.

Ashok, a 12-year-old student from a City government school, said he and his friends don't enjoy their meals anymore. “I don’t want to have this (ready mix meal). It makes me vomit every day. I want to eat rice, sambar, and pongal again,” he said. Another student said he prefers to eat bread and jam over the packaged meal.

An anganwadi worker told Salar News that earlier when the bell rang at 10.30 am, children would rush to grab milk. But now, students express disappointment and say ‘ayy banro, bili neer kudiyona’ (come let's drink the white water together).

Meanwhile, Lakshmi, an anganwadi cook from the City, said now it takes only 30 minutes to prepare the packaged food. It involves mixing protein powder with hot water, and boiling ready-made kichdi mix (containing rice, oil and spices) for 15 minutes.

When Salar News reached out to anganwadi workers in Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Shivamogga, Uttara and Dakshina Kannada, they said the students are facing the same issues.Anganwadi workers are left with no choice but to purchase eggs and other supplies from their own funds. "I bought eggs for the students from my money when I noticed they weren't eating the given meals. Without oil and green leafy vegetables, how can the food taste good? They have provided milk but no sugar or jaggery to go with it," she said. She also claims ready-mix pack has a foul smell when opened.

Each centre gets eight packets of protein powder, millet ladoo and 25 packets of kichdi which lasts for a month for approximately 25 students.Salar News reached out to the Health, Education, and Women and Child Development Ministries for comment, but did not receive a response. However, a source from the Women and Child Development Department said that a letter has been submitted to the Education Minister requesting a change in the menu. Additionally, the department is considering discontinuing the packed food after the State Budget. Meanwhile, child activists are flagging concern over the impact of the packaged food on children’s health. They question who will be held accountable if students fall ill.

Nagasimha Rao, a child rights activist, said nutritious food is essential for development in children and the government should stop experimenting with children's diets.

Varalakshmi, State President of Centre of Indian Trade Unions that looks after anganwadi workers, flagged the lack of clarity regarding the packed food. "On 23 January, the government informed us that we would have a meeting regarding the packed food. However, when we asked why anganwadis are receiving packed food, they mentioned it was a decision of High Court and promised to provide us with a copy of the decision. Two months have passed, and we have not received any copy."