Key Update

The Centre on Monday said it has taken serious note of recent food and water contamination incidents in government school hostels across Andhra Pradesh. After several students fell ill, authorities carried out special inspections in all state-run hostels to assess hygiene and food safety conditions.

In the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said the incidents stemmed from poor food-safety practices, including unclean RO plants, stagnant water tanks, and unhygienic kitchen environments. He confirmed that hospitals treated the affected students promptly and discharged them safely.

Centre Reiterates PM-POSHAN Food Safety Rules

The Centre highlighted that strict safety and hygiene guidelines already exist under PM-POSHAN. Schools must

• Use Agmark-certified ingredients in school meals.

• Train cook-cum-helpers in proper hygiene practices.

• Send food samples to accredited laboratories for testing.

• Follow mandatory handwashing protocols for all staff handling food.

• Ensure School Management Committee members taste meals before serving.

• Improve nutrition by including local millets, vegetables, and condiments in school meals.

Andhra Pradesh Issues Food Safety SOP

Following the recent contamination cases, the Andhra Pradesh government also introduced a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to improve food and water safety in hostels. The SOP mandates

• Regular cleaning of water tanks.

• Maintenance of RO plants.

• Strict kitchen hygiene standards.

• Timely reporting of food-safety incidents.

• Clear crisis-management steps.

The state also issued additional safety instructions for girls’ hostels in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs).

FSSAI Strengthens Awareness and Testing

To support safer food in schools, FSSAI released a Food Safety Guidebook for teachers and students, created a digital playlist titled How to Check for Adulteration, and deployed Mobile Food Safety on Wheels vans to train staff in remote regions. These initiatives aim to help schools identify unsafe food and improve daily practices.

States Urged to Enforce Food Safety Strictly

While the Centre stressed the importance of following PM-POSHAN guidelines, it reiterated that the responsibility for enforcing food-safety standards in hostels lies with state administrations. It urged states to tighten monitoring and maintain hygienic kitchens and safe water systems to prevent future incidents.

Source: NDTV