Taking cognisance of food poisoning cases caused by midday meals served at schools, the Maharashtra Department of School Education and Sports has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that demands vigilance from school management committees, government education officials, and even the health department.

According to the government notice, oversights like inadequate hygiene in kitchens, deviation from prescribed recipes, open kitchens, adulteration, careless transportation and distribution, use of low-quality or expired ingredients, improper storage, use of preservatives, and spoilage by heat, among other factors, often lead to symptoms of food poisoning. Young students can experience distressing symptoms such as nausea, fever, diarrhoea, and weakness.

To prevent such a scenario, the department has released crucial SOPs that account for the entire process — right from acquiring raw materials to auditing the prepared food that arrives at schools.