A Step Towards Transforming Mid-Day Meal: Training programme for Cook-cum-Helpers Inaugurated

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to promote workplace hygiene, dietary diversification and cooking healthy recipes in schools across the state, a two-day state-level training of master trainers-cook-cum-helpers on food safety and hygiene in PM POSHAN was inaugurated at Mission Shakti Bhawan here on Friday.

The workshop-cum-training session has been jointly organised by PM Poshan, Government of India, Department of School & Mass Education, Government of Odisha and UN World Food Programme as part of enriching the nutritional contents of Mid-Day Meal in all government and aided schools.

Addressing the gathering Elisabeth Faure, Country Director, World Food Programme, India highlighted the need of promoting healthy eating, dietary diversification and micronutrient supplementation among the school-going children. “The Government of India and World Food Programme in collaboration with the state government are working in convergence to ensure distribution healthy and nutritious meal to each and every child in their growing and developing years. India is way ahead in achieving food safety and food security for its citizens,” quoted Faure.

Raghuram R. Iyer, State Nodal Officer, PM-POSHAN, Odisha delivered the welcome address and informed that PM POSHAN scheme could be further enhanced by providing capacity building training to cook-cum-helpers from across the state. He also stressed on maintaining hygiene and cleanliness while preparing food in the school kitchen. “Diet diversification is being introduced in Odisha schools to reduce anaemia and ensure nutritious meal for all students of government schools. The state government has also been promoting millets and nutri-garden in schools on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security for the future generations,” he added.

Among others, Bhairab Singh Patel, Additional Secretary, S&ME Department, Sasmita Pattanayak, Additional secretary (PM POSHAN), Sri Himanshu S Bal, Head of WFP Filed Office, Odisha were present in the inaugural session.

The first day of the workshop covered the areas of role and responsibilities of cook-cum helpers, personal hygiene, cleanliness of kitchen and utensils, sources and mode of contamination, procurement, quality assurance and storage of raw materials, method of cooking, waste disposal and management in emergencies, rice fortification – cooking and safe storage, introduction of millets in MDM and maintenance of nutri-garden in schools. On the concluding day, the participants will be taken on exposure visits to Institute of Hotel Management, Bhubaneswar and the centralised kitchen of Akshya Patra Foundation Trust in Nakhara, Cuttack. Master trainers from Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Balasore districts participated in this state-level training programme.

In partnership with UN World Food Programme, the Government of Odisha has developed a training app FoSafMDM to make mid-day meals safe and hygienic. The app has been educating the grassroots workers (cook-cum-helpers, school teachers) on food safety and hygiene practices.