A state-of-the-art kitchen for school mid-day meals opens in Jalna

Over 30,000 children to benefit from the mid-day meals initiative Mechanized centralized kitchen constructed to serve healthy and hygienic meals

The  Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari inaugurated the ‘Padma Bhushan Dr. Badrinarayan Barwale Centralized Kitchen’ at the Golden Jubilee School campus in Maharashtra’s Jalna district.

The Honorable Governor served Teethi Bhoj to all the school children present to mark the celebration. Smt. Sangitaji Gorantyal, Nagararadhyaksha of Jalna and over 100 children and representatives from Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (I) Pvt. Ltd. (MMB) and Annamrita Foundation were also present at the occasion.  Shri. Rajeshji Tope, Honorable Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare and Shri. Raosahebji Danve, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution shared their congratulatory video messages.

Spread across an acre of land, the ‘Padma Bhushan Dr. Badrinarayan Barwale Centralized Kitchen’ has a capacity to serve mid-day meals to over 50,000 children and adheres to food safety standards and ISO compliances. The kitchen is automated with a mechanical conveyor, automated hopper, cooking cauldrons, idly unit, vegetable cutting equipment thereby ensuring hygiene and safety during the entire cooking process. The kitchen will also house a food testing lab to ensure safe raw material usage and nutritious food to the children.

Speaking at the occasion Shri Rajendra Barwale, Chairman, Mahyco said, ” For over 50 years, Mahyco has been collaborating and working for the welfare of the community and we are extremely pleased and humbled to be associated with the great work of Annamrita Foundation. This effort would provide nutritious mid-day meals to thousands of school children in Jalna district and would help alleviate malnourishment in the region.”

As a part of the ‘School Nutrition Project’, the ‘Padma Bhushan Dr. Badrinarayan Barwale Centralized Kitchen’ aims to serve healthy and balanced meals to children who have limited or no access to food and lack awareness on the importance of the same in their daily diet. The ‘School Nutrition Project’ is a two-pronged effort that addresses on one hand the challenges of malnutrition and classroom hunger, while on the other hand, helps educate underprivileged children thereby reducing dropouts, illiteracy and poverty.

Dr. Radha Krishna Das, Advisor, Annamrita Foundation, Maharashtra said, “Our aim is to provide children with a versatile wholesome menu and a Teethi Bhoj (Paneer dish once a month) which they really look forward to. We thank MMB, Golden Jubilee Education Society as well as the local representatives and administration for their support.”