RAIPUR: After finding insufficient calorie content and protein in mid-day meals across Chhattisgarh, the state school education secretary instructed collectors to strictly follow the guidelines of mid-day meal menu.In a review meeting, school education secretary Gaurav Dwivedi informed collectors that during the sampling test of food nutrition value of mid-day meals, 19 districts and five centralized kitchens out of 27 districts were examined with the samples collected from 66 schools. In the test report, samples of 56 schools were received out of which only 18 schools were found have food with 85% or more of the prescribed nutrition value. Moreover, mid-day meals at just three schools were found with 100% prescribed nutrition value. On the basis of this report, the school education secretary directed the collectors of all the districts to strictly follow the midday meal menu.An inquiry team has given its suggestions which the education secretary said should be followed by all mid-day-meal centres in state.During the meeting, it was informed that food menu should contain at least two days’ amount of eggs and milk or a commodity of equivalent nutrition value for a week. If the egg is not accepted by children or their parents, then food of equivalent nutrition value in place of it should be provided. Additionally, to increase the quantity of protein, soya or soya products of high quality should be given to the children.Furthermore, seasonal fruits available locally should also be part of the mid-day meals. Rice should be cooked with starch so that it would provide high calorie content to the children.

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