GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS Nutrition and Food Safety

Areas of concern 1. Ensuring nutritional adequacy 2. Ensuring Food Safety 3. Ensuring Palatability 4. Achieving Health Outcomes  Approach Proposed is to develop Standards and measurable criteria for each of the above four areas  This approach provides standardization but also flexibility and room for constant improvements  Enables all stakeholders to understand what is expected of them and to monitor support to achieve

NUTRITION STANDARDS Food served on the plate has recommended amounts of calories and proteins Salt used is iodized and fortified Half of daily recommendation of greens are met from the Greens Diversity of food ensures enough protective food- essential fatty acids, micronutrients etc Inclusion of local available resources Education and awareness to teachers, children SMCs.

SAFETY STANDARD Water has been tested for potability Hygiene in process of food preparation, distribution and serving Hygiene and safe practices in process of food procurement and storage Personal hygiene of children (ensuring hand washing) Process of preparation and distribution ensures freedom from microbial contamination Awareness regarding safe practices involving fire safety, pests and rodent control processes

PALATABILITY STANDARDS Sample satisfaction survey Food wastage Minimal

HEALTH OUTCOME STANDARDS Aggregate scores of BMI (Body Mass Index) and anemia at Class room, Block and District level (Facilitate mapping of Nutritionally Stressed Regions) Nutrition counseling of families of moderately and severely malnourished children Extra supplementation required for catch up is provided Village Health and sanitation committee involved in facilitation and outcome monitoring

STANDARDS AND MEASURABLE CRITERIA

Hygiene in process of food preparation, distribution and serving Example Maximum score is 5 and minimum 0 Criteria Score Food handlers observe personnel hygiene 1 Some standard procedures are followed 2 in preparation of food. Serving with clean ladles and not with 1 bare hands Food is kept covered free from flies 1 while distribution and serving Monitoring team must spent a day in the facility and observe the entire process from preparation to serving On other days VHSNC ( village Health Sanitation Nutrition Committee) ) would facilitate/ monitor

Process ensures freedom from bacterial contamination Maximum score for the standard is 5 min minimum is 0 CriteriaScore All food is served hot and well cooked 1 All food is served within 2 hours of cooking 1 All food is served using clean utensils and plate 1 Water for drinking is boiled or chlorinated 1 Microbiological testing of food sample taken 1 at consumption point is desirable

FACILITATION AND MONITORING Monitoring to be done by external agencies VHSNC (village Health Sanitation Nutrition Committee) to be involved, educated and motivated to facilitate this Nearby technical support agencies may be designated help each block achieve the standard Department must monitor actual progress in achieving the nutrient and safety outcomes