Insects found in cooked rice at Sabarasahi primary school in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 10: Insects were found in midday meal, prepared by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and provided to students of Sabarasahi primary school at Badagada in the city today.

Before 100-odd students studying between Class I and V, could consume the food, the school authorities detected the insects (crickets and mosquitoes) and informed the authorities. Education department officials rushed to the spot and seized the food. The samples will be sent to laboratory for test.

As the news spread, local residents rushed to the spot and gheraoed the vehicle, which had carried the food to the school.

Headmistress Bijayalaxmi Dei said the Akshaya Patra Foundation had provided the food. When they were transferring the food to another container, the employees saw some black objects in it. Later, they found it to be dead insects.

Two assistant block education officers reached the school for verification. In another development parents and local residents, along with the local councillor, gathered there.

“When we told the staff members of the NGO about insects being found in food, he told us that insects are eaten in China. This hurts us and we gheraoed their vehicle for playing with our children’s life,” said a local resident.

The foundation has been providing midday meals to various schools in the state. They claim that they have the modern facilities to prepare food in a hygienic condition. Two days ago, chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the service in the city and the NGO will provide midday meals to 45,000 students.

The vehicle was carrying food for Sabarasahi primary school as well as for 12 other schools in the area. However, no other schools have reported about any such problem.

An assistant block education officer said the insects such as cricket, moth and mosquito were found in the rice. “We will give a report to our higher officials about this and they will take the final decision,” said officer Truptimayee Bhanja.

An NGO employee said that though the foods had been prepared in hygienic condition, the insects might have been in the container in which food was transferred. “It has wrongly happened and it would not be repeated. We will take utmost care from the next time onwards,” said the staff member.

District education officer Radha Mohan Panda said that after he got the report, he would inform the government which would take steps accordingly.