Food Safety and Hygiene Training Manual for Supervisors, Food Handlers & Workers of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Kitchens

Food is a major determinant of health, nutrition and productivity of a population. It is therefore, essential to ensure the wholesomeness of food. Wholesomeness of food has two important dimensions. Firstly, food should be of good nutritive value and secondly food should be free from any toxic agents and harmful micro-organisms. Supplementary nutrition program of ICDS is one of the pivotal interventions addressing child malnutrition in India and also helps in addressing importance of food safety and hygiene in Anganwadi centres. The food safety issues in Anganwadi kitchens have been highlighted time to time and therefore, it is extremely important to take precautions and manage quality checks at the kitchens to deliver safe and nutritious food to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Food safety standards are to be followed while providing supplementary nutrition under ICDS to provide safe and wholesome food and prevent contamination. This training manual on Food Safety and Hygiene for Supervisors, Food Handlers and Workers is prepared with the intent to provide basic food safety guidance to supervisors and food handlers and workers of Anganwadi kitchens who are involved in Procurement, Storage, Pre-preparation, Cooking, Distribution, Serving of food to Anganwadi centres. The said guidelines are modified and contextualized for the group to be trained during the training program. The manual included basic concepts of food safety and its hazards; requirement of food safety and hygiene principles in a very easy to understand language. The training manual will help in providing effective food safety and hygiene training to supervisors, food handlers and workers in the Anganwadi kitchens and help in addressing food safety issues in community kitchens.