GUIDELINES ON FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE FOR SCHOOL LEVEL
KITCHENS UNDER MID-DAY MEAL (MDM) SCHEME
ABBREVIATIONS AGMARK : Agriculture Grading and
Marketing CCHs : Cook- cum Helpers CSIR : Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research DFS : Double Fortified Salt FAQ :Fair Average Quality FCI : Food
Corporation of India FEFO : First Expire First Out FIFO : First in, First Out
FSSAI : Food Standards and Safety Authority of India ISI : Indian Standards
Institute KS : Kitchen cum Store LPG : Liquefied Petroleum Gas MDMS : Mid-Day
Meal Scheme NABL: National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration
Laboratories PDS : Public Distribution System RTE : Right to Education SHGs:
Self Help Groups SMC: School Management Committee STC: Special Training Centre
WASH: Water Sanitation and Hygiene WHO: World Health Organization | Contents 1.
Food safety and hygiene 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Lifting and transportation of food
grains 1.3 Procurement of oil , pulses and condiments 1.4 Procurement of
perishable raw materials 1.5 Storage of raw materials 1.6 Food safety measures
1.6.1 Food safety measures during preparation 1.6.2 Food safety measures during
cooking 1.7 Tasting of mid-day meal 1.8 Testing of mid-day meal 1.9 Cleaning of
cooking areas 1.10 Cleaning of utensils, equipments and other materials 1.11
Personal hygiene, cleanliness and health checkups of cook cum helpers 1.12 Pest
control 2. Hand washing for children 3. Infrastructural requirement for food
safety and hygiene of Kitchen cum store 3.1 Kitchen cum store 3.2 Water supply
3.3 Testing of Water 3.4 Drainage and waste disposal 3.5 Food serving area 1.
FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE 1.1 Introduction Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme is a
Centrally Sponsored Scheme which serves hot cooked mid-day meal to school
children studying in Classes I-VIII of Government, Governmentaided schools,
Special Training centres (STC) and Madarasas and Maktabs supported under the
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The MDMs guidelines envisage to provide cooked mid-day
meal with 450 calories and 12 g of protein to every child at primary level and
700 calories and 20 g of protein at upper primary level. This energy and
protein requirement for a primary child comes from cooking 100 g of rice/flour,
20 g pulses and 50 g vegetables and 5 g oil, and for an upper primary child it
comes from 150 g of rice/flour, 30 g of pulses and 75 g of vegetables and 7.5 g
of oil. The mid-day meal should contain adequate nutrients and should be,
palatable, hygienic, and operationally feasible. These food safety guidelines
are for school level kitchens only, where the mid-day meal is cooked for
children. Quality assurance of mid -day meal and food safety should be an
integral part of food handling procedures at the school kitchen. The food
provided through these kitchens should be nutritious, free from food
adulterants, contamination pathogens, artificial non food grade colours, and
additives and adhere to food safety and quality norms. Food safety encompasses
selection, handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food
borne illness and contamination. This includes a number of routines that should
be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards Food contamination refers
to the presence in food of harmful chemicals and microorganisms which lead to
illness. The types of contaminants can be categorised as under: a) Biological
contaminant: includes bacteria, yeasts, molds, viruses or parasites that are
present in air, food, water, soil, animals and humans etc. b) Physical
contaminant: Foreign bodies in food are usually due to accidental contamination
and / or poor handling practices these are visible particles like pebbles, Page
6 of 15 stones, metal, glass, wood, insects, soil, dirt, jewellery, hair,
fingernails sneezing and coughing etc. c) Chemical contaminant: Includes
Chemicals used for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces; Pest control
chemicals, paints and water treatment chemicals; Pesticides, fertilizers,
fungicides. 1.2 Lifting and transportation of food grains i. As mandated under
MDM scheme, food grains are provided by Food Corporation of India. Food grains
are to be allocated bi-annually by the Department of School Education &
Literacy with the concurrence of Department of Food and Public Distribution for
primary and upper primary school level separately. FCI is to ensure continuous
availability of adequate quantity of food grains, which will be in any case not
less than of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) in its Depots. FCI will appoint a Nodal
Officer for each State to take care of various problems in supply of food
grains under the scheme. ii. The sample (in triplicate) of stocks proposed to
be lifted will be drawn jointly in the presence of the representatives of the
Collector and/or Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat and the FCI and
the sample slips will be jointly signed and sealed. One such sealed sample will
be given to State Government representative, one will be sent to FCI District
Office and one will be retained at the depot. iii. Samples of lifted food
grains shall be retained for 3 months in token of quality of grains received
from FCI. In case any complaint of low quality of food grains is received
within this period, these samples can be used to ascertain the veracity of the
complaint iv. The guidelines relating to lifting and transportation of food
grains are based on the guidelines issued by MHRD vide letter no F.1-15/2009 –
Desk (MDM) dated 10th February, 2010. 1.3 Procurement of oil, pulses and
condiments i. Only packed dals, salt, spices, condiments and oil with AGMARK
quality symbol should be purchased. Any ingredient being sold loose should
never be bought. The packaging and expiry date of the ingredients should be
checked. ii. Only “double fortified salt” should be used for cooking mid day
meals. Food grains should be stored in standard bins while, plastic food grade
containers are ideal for storage of dals, spices, condiments and other
ingredients. Page 7 of 15 1.4 Procurement of perishable raw material i.
Vegetable, fruits and perishable food commodities should be procured fresh and
storing for longer time/duration should be avoided. ii. Perishable items should
not be stored in plastic bags as these get spoilt quickly due to lack of
transpiration. Such items have to be stored away from sunlight, in a cool
place. iii. Zero energy cool chambers are a low cost alternative to store
horticulture produce. This is an on-farm storage chamber, for fresh fruits,
vegetables to extend their marketability. Due to their high moisture content
fruits and vegetables have very short life and are liable to spoil. The zero
energy cool chambers can be constructed easily with materials like brick, sand,
bamboo, khas khas/straw, gunny bag etc. The chamber can keep the temperature
10-15 0 C cooler than the outside temperature and maintain about 90% relative
humidity. It is most effective during the summer. iv. Storage of raw materials,
ingredients should be subject to FEFO (First Expire First Out) or FIFO (First
in, First Out) stock rotation system as applicable. Containers made of
non-toxic materials should be provided for storage of raw materials. The food
materials shall be stored on racks / pallets such that they are reasonably well
above the floor level and away from the wall so as to facilitate effective
cleaning and prevent harbouring of any pests, insects or rodents. v. No raw
material or ingredient should be accepted if it is known to contain parasites,
undesirable micro-organisms, pesticides, veterinary drugs or toxic items,
decomposed or extraneous substances, which would not be reduced to an
acceptable level by normal sorting and/or processing. vi. All raw materials,
food additives and ingredients, wherever applicable, should conform to all the
regulations and standards laid down under the relevant laws. vii. All raw
materials should be physically checked & thoroughly cleaned. Raw materials
should be purchased in quantities that correspond to storage/ preservation
capacity. Packaged raw material must be checked for 'expiry date'/ 'best
before'/ 'use by' date, packaging integrity and storage conditions. 1.5 Storage
of raw material i. The supply of food grains like wheat and rice should not be
stored for more than a quarter; they may be stored in airtight bins or stacked
neatly in gunny bags or bins Page 8 of 15 and stored in area free of rodents
and insects. Food grain should not be stored directly on the ground; a wooden
plank should be used for stacking of food grains. ii. In respect of storage of
other raw materials, it should be stored in bags, should be away from the walls
(about one feet) to avoid absorption of moisture; the height of the wooden
plank may be at least 8 to 12 cms above the floor. iii. Ingredients like double
fortified salt, condiments, oils soya bean, pulses etc. should be stored in
airtight containers. iv. All containers should be of materials that do not
impart toxicity to food. These containers should be cleaned at regular
intervals and thoroughly dried before use. It should be ensured that
ingredients used for cooking such as food grains, pulses, vegetables, cooking
oil and condiments, are free from adulteration, contaminants, pest and
infestation. v. All stored raw materials and ingredients must be kept under dry
and cool and ventilated conditions that will prevent spoilage, protect against
contamination by pathogenic microorganisms, insects, rodents, foreign bodies,
chemicals and damage. This implies that food and non-food materials should not
be stored in the same area and not all food materials can be stored together
because of risk of contamination. vi. Storage of fuels, disinfectants,
detergents, cleaning agents should be strictly away from the stored raw
materials and under lock and key. 1.6 Food Safety Measures: 1.6.1 Food Safety
measures during preparation i. The cereals and pulses should be manually
cleaned before cooking to remove any extraneous matter. ii. ‘Single Dish Meals’
using broken wheat or rice and incorporating some amount of a pulse or soya
beans, a seasonal vegetable/green leafy vegetable, and some amount of edible
oil will save both time and fuel besides being nutritious. iii. Cereal pulse
combination is necessary to have good quality protein. The cereal pulse ratio
could range from 3:1 to 5:1.Sprouted pulses have more nutrients and should be
incorporated in single dish meals. iv. Leafy vegetables when added to any
preparation should be thoroughly washed before cutting and should not be
subjected to washing after cutting. v. For chopping vegetables a clean chopping
board should be used. Page 9 of 15 1.6.2 Food Safety Measures during Cooking i.
Recipes requiring fermentation and sprouted pulses lead to increase in
nutrition value and accordingly should be considered as an option in the menu.
ii. Cooking must be done with the lid on to avoid loss of nutrients and
contamination. iii. The containers should be checked for its cleanliness. iv.
Temperature of the mid-day meal when served should be maintained at 65°C.
Microorganisms multiply at a fast pace when the food is kept at temperature
between 5°C and 60°C which represents the danger zone due to thermophilic and
thermoduric nature. Therefore, food should be served to children immediately
after being cooked. v. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian items should be segregated.
Fridge wherever available should be cleaned at least once a week to remove
stains, ice particles and food particles. The temperature in the fridge should
be in the range of 4°C - 6°C vi. Requisite number of CCHs should be deputed at
school level for the distribution of food from centralized kitchen for the
distribution of mid-day meal with proper gear (gloves, apron and caps etc).
vii. The school management should be encouraged to draw on the support of the
community. Gram Panchayats and School Management Committees/Village Education
Committees may be approached for involving community members in regular
inspections, on a rotation basis, to help the school management in ensuring
efficient quality cooking, serving and cleaning operations. Support of the community
members, including mothers’ groups, should also be solicited to ensure that
children wash their hands with soap before eating, use clean plates and
glasses, avoid littering and wastage of food, and rinse their hands and mouth
after eating. 1.7 Tasting of the mid-day meals by teacher The tasting of the
food by a teacher just before serving is mandatory. The teacher is to maintain
a record of tasting in a register. SMC member should also taste the food on a
rotation basis along with the teachers before it is distributed to the
children. 1.8 Testing of mid-day meal The States/UTs must consider engaging
CSIR Institutes / NABL accredited laboratories and FSSAI accredited
laboratories for undertaking testing of samples of MDM for food safety and
contamination (microbial and chemical). 1.9 Cleaning of cooking areas Page 10
of 15 i. The floors of kitchen and the slabs should be cleaned every day before
and after the food is cooked. Special attention should be paid to the cleaning
of obstructed sites including cooking areas and at the junction of floors and
walls. ii. The cooking areas must be kept cleaned at all times. It is important
that surfaces in direct contact with food must be both clean and dry before
use. Cracks, rough surfaces, open joints etc. must be repaired as soon as
possible. 1.10 Cleaning of utensils, equipments and other materials i. Cleaning
accessories such as cloths, mops and brushes carry a very high risk of cross
contamination. They must therefore be thoroughly washed, cleaned and dried after
use. Cleaning accessories used in the cooking area/packing area should not be
used in other parts of the kitchen. Sun drying of the cleaning accessories in a
clean and tidy place should be done. ii. Tables, benches and boxes, cupboards,
glass cases, etc. shall be clean and tidy. Cooking utensils and crockery should
be clean and in good condition. These should not be broken/ chipped. iii.
Utensils should be cleaned of debris, rinsed, scrubbed with detergent and
washed under running tap water after every operation. Wiping of utensils should
be done with clean cloth. Clean cloths should be used for wiping hands and for
clearing surfaces. Cloth used for floor cleaning should not be used for
cleaning surfaces of tables and working areas and for wiping utensils. Dust or
crumb from plates or utensils should be removed into dustbin by using cloth or
wiper. iv. Assessories and containers that come in contact with food and used
for food handling, storage, preparation and serving should be made of corrosion
free materials which do not impart any toxicity to the food material and should
be easy to clean and /or disinfect. v. Equipment and utensils used in the
preparation of food should be kept at all times in good order and repair and in
a clean and sanitary condition. Such utensil or container should not be used
for any other purpose. vi. Every utensil or container containing any food or
ingredient of food should at all times be either provided with a properly
fitted cover/lid or with a clean gauze net or other material of texture
sufficiently fine to protect the food completely from dust, dirt and flies and
other insects. 1.11 Personal hygiene, cleanliness and health checkups of Cook
cum Helpers i. Cooks and helpers should maintain a high degree of personal
hygiene and cleanliness. Page 11 of 15 The person suffering from infectious
disease should not be permitted to work. Biannual health checks up should be
undertaken to ensure fitness for the job of CCH. Cooks/helpers should report
immediately to their supervisors, if they are suffering from any disease likely
to be transmitted via food, e.g. diarrhoea or vomiting, infected wounds like,
skin infections, jaundice or sores. ii. All food handlers should remain clean,
wear washed clothes and keep their finger nails trimmed, clean and wash their
hands with soap/ detergent and water before commencing work and every time
after touching, raw or contaminated food or using toilet. All Cook cum helpers
should avoid wearing loose items that might fall into food and also avoid touching
or scratching their face, head or hair. iii. It should be ensured that all CCHs
are instructed and trained in food hygiene and food safety aspects along with
personal hygiene requirements commensurate with their work activities, the
nature of food, its handling, preparation, service and distribution.. Training
programmes should be regularly reviewed and updated wherever necessary. iv.
Nail polish or artificial nails should not be worn because they can become
foreign bodies and may compromise on food safety. No watches, rings, jewellery
and bangles should be worn during cooking, serving and distribution where there
is a danger of contamination of product. v. Chewing, smoking, spitting and nose
blowing should be prohibited within the premises especially while handling
food. vi. The CCHs should have adequate and suitable clean protective clothing,
head covering hair should be tied up neatly and ensured that the CCHs at work
wear only clean protective clothes and head covering essentially during MDM
operation. vii. The CCHs should wash their hands at least each time work is
resumed and whenever contamination of their hands has occurred; e.g. after
coughing / sneezing, visiting toilet, using telephone, smoking etc; avoid
certain hand habits - e.g. scratching nose, running finger through hair,
rubbing eyes, ears and mouth, scratching beard, scratching parts of bodies
etc.- that are potentially hazardous when associated with handling food
products, and might lead to food contamination through the transfer of bacteria
from the employee to product during its preparation. When unavoidable, hands
should be effectively washed before resuming work after such actions. 1.12 Pest
Control i. Cleanliness is essential for effective control of all pests (mainly
rodents, birds, and insects). Wire mesh screens, for example on open windows,
doors and ventilators, Page 12 of 15 will reduce the problem of pest entry. ii.
Generally no pesticides/insecticides should be encouraged or used in cooking
area. However if unavoidable, care must be taken to protect people, food,
equipment and utensils from contamination before these are applied. Pesticides
should always be kept in its original containers, clearly marked and be stored
in a locked storage separate from cooking ingredients storage areas. Records of
pesticides / insecticides used along with dates and frequency should be
maintained. iii. Kitchen and the store area should be kept clean and tidy to
prevent pest access and to eliminate potential breeding sites. Holes, drain
covers and other places where pests are likely to gain access should be kept in
sealed condition or fitted with mesh / grills / claddings or any other suitable
means as required and animals, birds and pets should not be allowed to enter
into the food storage and cooking area. The school maintenance grant made
available under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan may be used for this purpose. iv.
Adequate arrangements including installation of fire extinguishers should be
made to deal with incidents of accidental fire in the kitchen area of the
school. 2. HAND-WASHING FOR CHILDREN i. There should be a dedicated time within
the daily time table that will allow enough time for all children, cooks and
teachers in the school to wash their hands with soap. The hand washing of the
children should be supervised and monitored vigorously . ii. Hand wash with
soap before and after eating should be vigoursly promoted. The schools may
define an area for hand washing where very simple scalable and cost effective
multiple hand washing facilities can be installed to be used by large groups of
children at a time. Empty plastic bottles can be filled with liquid soap and
diluted with water. 20-30 plastic bottles filled with diluted hand wash liquid
can be used for approximately 200 children for hand washing. iii. Wherever
proper hand washing facilities are either not available or inadequate for all
children, buckets and mugs can be used to supplement the available facilities.
3. INFRASTRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE 3.1 Guidelines for
Safety and hygiene of Kitchen-cum-Store i. The Kitchen cum Store should be
located in a clean and open place and free from filthy surroundings and should
maintain overall hygienic environment. Page 13 of 15 ii. The premises should be
clean, adequately lighted and ventilated and have sufficient free space for
movement. iii. Floors, ceilings and walls must be maintained in a sound
condition. They should be smooth and easy to clean with no flaking paint or
plaster. iv. The floor and skirted walls should be washed as per requirement
with an effective disinfectant. The premises should be kept free from all
insects. No spraying should be done during the cooking of Mid Day Meal, but
instead fly swats/ flaps should be used to kill flies getting into the
premises. Windows, doors and other openings should be fitted with net or
screen, as appropriate to make the premise insect free. The water used in the
cooking shall be potable. v. Continuous supply of potable water should be
ensured in the premises. In case of intermittent water supply, adequate storage
arrangement for water used in food or washing should be made. vi. Arrangements
for cleaning of containers, tables, working parts of machinery, etc. should be
provided. vii. All utensils should be kept clean, washed, dried and stored at
the Kitchen cum store to ensure freedom from growth of mold/ fungi and
infestation. viii. All utensils should be placed well away from the walls to
allow proper inspection. ix. There should be efficient drainage system and
there should be adequate provisions for disposal of refuse. x. Potential
sources of contamination like rubbish, waste water, toilet facilities, open
drains and stray animals should be kept away from kitchen. xi. Kitchen should
be separate from classrooms, preferably located at a safe, but accessible
distance. The current norm for a kitchen shed is 20 sq.m of floor space for
every 100 children enrolled and thereafter 4 sq. m for every additional 100
children. xii. As far as possible, the layout of the Mid day Meal kitchen should
be such that food preparation/processes are not amenable to cross-contamination
from washing vegetables/cereals/Pulses/ etc). Floors, ceilings and walls must
be maintained in a sound condition to minimize the accumulation of dirt,
condensation and growth of undesirable molds. xiii. Floors should be sloped
appropriately to facilitate drainage and the drainage should flow in a
direction opposite to the direction of food preparation. Adequate control
measures should be in place to prevent insects and rodents from entering the
processing area from drains. Windows, doors & all other openings to outside
Page 14 of 15 environment should preferably be covered with wire-mesh or insect
proof screen as applicable to protect the premise from flies and other insects
/ pests / animals. xiv. Ventilation systems natural and /or mechanical
including air filters, exhaust fans, wherever required, should be designed and
constructed so that air does not flow from contaminated areas to clean areas.
xv. A display board mentioning do's & don'ts for the CCHs should be put up
inside at a prominent place in the premise in local language for everyone's
understanding. xvi. Properly constructed chimneys are required in the kitchens.
Chimneys should not be the entry point of insects; reptile’s etc. Fuel
(kerosene/fuel wood/ charcoal/LPG) should be stored/installed safely, so that
there is no fire hazard. Smokeless chulhas should be used to the extent
possible. The Kitchen should have full visibility with sunlight or artificial
light. xvii. If kerosene/gas is used for cooking, the CCHs should be
specifically trained in safe handling of stoves, gas cylinders, etc. Raised
platform for cooking, adequate light, proper ventilation and arrangement for
drainage and waste disposal. The dustbin should have a lid and should be always
covered. xviii. The Right to free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009
provide the legal framework for the quality education in India and mandates
minimum norms and standards for infrastructure in schools including kitchen cum
store . 3.2 Water supply i. Continuous supply of potable water should be
ensured in the premises. In case of intermittent water supply, adequate storage
arrangement for water used in food or washing should be made. Water used for
cleaning, washing and preparing food should be potable in nature. ii. Water
storage tanks, if available, should be cleaned periodically and records of the
same should be maintained. Non potable water can be used provided it is
intended only for cleaning of equipment not coming in contact with food. iii.
Non potable water pipes should be clearly distinguished from those in use for
potable water. 3.3 Testing of Water In the kitchens of Mid-day Meal bore
water/tap water/hand-pump water is being used (in general) for cooking,
drinking and washing. Water needs to be tested for chemical as well as
microbiological contamination. The testing of water can be done in Page 15 of
15 convergence with the concerned water supply/Public Health Engineering
departments of the States/UTs. 3.4 Drainage and Waste Disposal i. Adequate
drainage, waste disposal systems and facilities should be provided and they
should be designed and constructed in such manner so that the risk of
contaminating food or the potable water supply is eliminated. Waste storage
should be located in such manner that it does not contaminate the food process,
storage areas, the environment inside and outside the kitchen and waste should
be kept in covered containers and removed at regular intervals. Periodic
disposal of the refuse/ waste should be made compulsory. ii. Waste material
generated during the cooking of food should be kept in a separate container of
adequate size with a proper cover preferably one which need not be touched to
open should be provided in the premises for collection of food waste material.
This should be emptied and washed and dried daily before next use. 3.5 Food
serving area i. If the meals are served in a dining room, or school
veranda/class room or a hall in the schools, this should be spacious enough,
well ventilated and with windows having wire mesh. The room should be cleaned
every day before the school starts functioning.
