-PTI The HRD Ministry has received 35 complaints for substandard food since 2016 More than 900 children were reported ill across the country with zero fatalities due to the consumption of mid-day meals in the past three years, according to officials of the Human Resource Development Ministry. The Ministry had received 35 complaints from 15 States and Union Territories (UTs) regarding substandard Food Quality in the same period. “A total number of 930 children...

-The Hindu Business Line To establish a self-monitoring mechanism for dairy establishments. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday said it plans to launch a scheme for sampling, testing and inspection of milk, in a bid to set up a self- monitoring mechanism for licensed dairy establishments. The food safety authority said this move is expected to strengthen internal controls at the licensed dairy processing establishments. Under this scheme, milk...

-Down to Earth The midday meal scheme for schoolchildren is increasingly getting politicised, as the upper class elite wants to impose its own religious/food beliefs on malnourished children Most countries in the world now have some programme that provides midday meals to schoolchildren. School meals have been widely hailed for their multiple benefits — they increase enrolment and attendance, particularly of children from vulnerable groups; contribute to reduce “classroom hunger” and improve...

-The Indian Express Amid the ongoing controversy that erupted with PepsiCo India’s lawsuits against 11 farmers for growing its patented potato variety, The Indian Express meets the affected farmers to find the genesis of the problem . Among the 11 farmers of Gujarat who have been slapped lawsuits by PepsiCo India for “illegally” growing its patented potato variety FL 2027, are Fulchand Kachchhawa and his brother Suresh of Malgadh village in...

-Outlook   Introduced to Nutrition Sensitive Integrated Farming System (NSIFS), or Poshan Kheti, by JEEViKA, Sushma Devi found that food produced in the family farm and kitchen garden was the perfect solution to feed her family sufficiently. Sushma Devi, a small farmer in Purnea, Bihar, was not able to provide diverse foods to her family of six members - comprising her husband, in-laws and children. Each of them has different dietary...