Centre to revamp labs testing food for kids at anganwadis

After a recent ICDS survey found one in four kids at anganwadi centres is malnourished, the Women and Child Development Ministry is planning to revamp its four quality control laboratories for monitoring nutrition level of supplements given to children in the 13.3 lakh centres across the country.

The laboratories will undertake random tests of the food supplied to children. “There are four old laboratories in each metro which are non-functional. We will upgrade them depending on the amount of funds we are able to get from the government. The labs will conduct random tests on food and raw materials used by the anganwadi centres,” said a senior official in the ministry. The official added the Delhi laboratory will be  a state-of-art facility.

The Integrated Child Development Services recently faced a budgetary cut and its funds were slashed by half, causing outrage among activists.  The ICDS is also one of the centrally sponsored schemes in which the Centre is looking at changing the funding pattern from 50:50 to 75:25.