Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday inspected three midday meal kitchens in north Delhi and collected food samples which he sent for examination to a laboratory.
A government official said Jain, along with the officials of health and food safety departments, visited kitchens in Burari and Jagatpur areas of north Delhi where midday meal for the nearby schools is prepared. "The team took food samples and send them to laboratory for examination. Such inspections will continue till February 24," the official said.
"I have ordered to empanel 18 private labs, who could pick up food samples from various schools, where midday meals are served among students," Jain added.
A dead rat was found in a midday meal served at the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Deoli area on February 16, after which at least nine students were hospitalised. Jain's inspection came after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday ordered that all 33 midday meal kitchens should be inspected by senior officers.
During the inspection, Jain said: "Annually, we collect around 2,000 food samples of midday meal for examination, but now we have set up a target of collecting and testing annually 20,000 midday meal samples."