Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) have signed an MoU to enhance the nutritional content of midday meals for about 14,000 schools across 12 States.
They will introduce supplementary food products for schoolchildren in about 14,000 schools
MoU was signed by Jitendra J. Jadhav, Director, CFTRI and Sridhar Venkat, CEO, Akshaya Patra Foundation during the foundation day of CFTRI and the 75th anniversary of CSIR.
DFRL director Rakesh Kumar Sharma and scientists from the CFTRI and representatives from APF were present. CFTRI and APF will introduce new supplementary food products for school children as part of the midday meal programme.
Sridhar Venkat said, “Midday meals are served to 1.6 million schoolchildren daily across India.”
As per the MoU, the APF will extend the meal scheme by introducing innovative nutritional adjuncts from CFTRI research. It also aims to create and support various platforms towards knowledge sharing and effective implementation of the malnutrition intervention programmes.
Internship programmes as a part of academic activities for three to four months will also be arranged for research students by the institute. Accordingly, students of integrated nutrition biology programme and doctoral programmes will be encouraged to work in the identified APF centres under the joint supervision of both the institutions.