No gloves used by servers, poor nutritional quality in lab tests: Social audit of Goa’s midday meals

Panaji: In 75% North Goa schools and 32% of South Goa, students reported that those serving midday meals do not wear headgear, gloves or apron. A majority of women’s self-help groups were seen serving only one chapati to students.
The laboratory analysis also found that the meals were not meeting the nutritional norms prescribed by central guidelines. These are the findings of the social audit carried out by state govt in 2024-25, as per directions of central govt.
Centre’s guidelines mandate provision of hot cooked meals containing 450 calories and 12gm protein for primary and 700 calories and 20gm protein for upper primary class children.
“The meals analysed are not up to these nutritional requirements, necessitating measures to align with guidelines. Certain schools were found to serve watery dishes like bhaaji and sambar, which affects both nutritional adequacy and meal satisfaction. Food delivered early and served later is not consistently maintained at the safe temperature of above 63°C, increasing the risk of spoilage. Cooked food left at room temperature for more than two hours poses safety concerns,” the audit noted.
Though the majority of the students reported consuming the midday meals and in children from low-income families the meals were seen encouraging them to attend school, 50% parents in North Goa and 31.8% in South said that their children had spoken to them about some issue or complaint related to the midday meal served to them.
“Of the student respondents, 75% from North Goa and 31.8% from South have brought out the fact that persons serving the midday meals have never been using the mandated apron, headgear and gloves while serving the meal,” said the audit carried out in 42 samples schools across Goa by a team from the Goa Home Science College.
The audit included inspections, observations, interviews of parents, students, teachers, school heads and self-help groups, besides laboratory tests on the cooked meals were conducted from Aug 2024 onwards.
According to the audit report, only 55% of student respondents from North Goa, and 68.20% from South agreed that the school principal or teacher indeed tastes the meal before it is served to students. “This practice needs to be compulsorily followed by the remaining schools too,” according to the audit.
As many as 90% students in North Goa and 72% in South were seen regularly consuming the midday meal served. However, parents told the auditors that more variety is needed in the midday meals served, besides improvement in taste and flavour. More chapatis should be served and that bhaaji served should not be watery. They also said food should be properly cooked.
The women supplying the midday meals told the auditors that they were not receiving their payment from govt on time and that they received poor quality grains.
“The midday meal suppliers were asked to state how many chapatis are served per child. All the 20 midday meal suppliers in North Goa answered that only one chapati per child was served. Eighteen suppliers in South Goa (81.8%) reported serving one chapati per child, while four respondents (18.2%) claimed that two chapatis per child were served,” said the audit.
The social audit is meant to address issues of equity and quality in midday meal programme implementation, besides bringing in transparency.