Centre revises nutritional standards for school children under NFSA

New Delhi: The Centre revised the nutritional standards of meals at schools and angawadis, increasing the proportion of calories and protein and mandating the inclusion of micronutrients, The Indian Express reported.

The Centre amended it after a decade of implementation of the National Food Security Act, and it was done on the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee.

The committee, in its draft report, suggested serving eggs in the government food safety programmes as mandatory, though the proposal has been kept on hold for the time being.

But the states and Union Territories are free to add eggs to their menu of food safety programmes such as midday meals (now renamed as PM Poshan) at schools as well as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme at anganwadis. ICDS covers pre-school level children and pregnant-lactating mothers.

But if the states and UTs choose not to serve eggs, they must add alternatives to the menu, like pulses and green leafy vegetables, to meet the new standards.

The ministerial team, which submitted the draft report, recommended immediate action on undernutrition. It called it a silent crisis that emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The NFSA schedule II, amended and notified on January 25, has fixed nutritional standards for nine groups starting from children of 6 months age to one year and those in upper primary classes (VI-VIII). Further, the act added three new categories for undernourished children between six months to six years.

For every child in lower primary classes, the new standards increased the protein quantity to 15-20 gms, fat to 18-21 grams, and carbohydrates to 70 grams. Standards for micronutrients go like calcium 170 mg, zinc 2 mg; iron 3.5 mg; dietary folate 50 micrograms; vitamin A 100 micrograms; Vitamin B6 0.43 micrograms; Vitamin B12 0.66 micrograms, TIE reports,