India, Sept. 3 -- While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has taken important steps to strengthen hygiene standards and regulate unsafe practices, much more needs to be done to ensure that what reaches the consumer's plate is genuinely safe, hygienic and transparently sourced

News reports about schoolchildren falling sick after taking food served under the Mid-Day Meal Programme. News reports frequently surface about insects, frogs, lizards, rats, etc., as well as substandard raw materials like rice and pulses, with many foreign ingredients reportedly used to cook mid-day meals in schools. Schools should serve only packaged food, preferably baked food, to ensure hygiene. It will also accommodate the peculiar food habits of...