A hygienic midday meal kitchen

[box type=”shadow” ]Through its free midday meal scheme for school children on a PPP model, the Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) aims at addressing hunger and malnutrition in India. The TAPF gravity kitchen in Bangalore where the mass meals are prepared, cooked and packed is a sterling example of a perfectly established system of cleanliness and hygiene. Vijayalakshmi Sridhar visits and reports on the processes from the TAPF kitchen on Kanakpura Road in South Bangalore.[/box]

Everyday activity at the Akshaya Patra kitchen on Kanakpura road begins with the firing of the brick oven at 1.00 a.m in the ground floor of the multi-story building. From then on, the processes follow a clockwork rhythm.

In the pre-processing area, freshly sourced vegetables are cut according to the fixed menu for the day. These, along with the rice, pulses are then transfered to the cooking area by gravity flow through the internally operated chutes. No energy is used for the internal transfers for the raw materials and cooked food. The meticulously cooked food is then transfered to the containers in the packing area, divided according to the requirement, sealed and immediately sent to the insulated loading vehicles. The last of the vehicles leave the premises before 8 a.m.

TAPF infrastructure and maintenance

A 150sqft cold storage room for vegetables and diary products maintained at 4 degrees and below. A store and an in-house RO plant with a capacity of 10,000 litres per hour complement the infrastructure in Akshaya Patra. Following the FSSAI norms and specifications, the central strategic sourcing team in the head office gives the sourcing & delivery schedule and breakups to the other production teams.

There is a protocol to the cleaning and maintenance of spice and cold storage at TAPF. The accepted grocery items are stacked in designated places with relevant GRN number identification. The food materials are stored on pallets / tarpaulins away from the walls and nonfood grade items. The vegetables are stored in cold room at ≤ 5°C. The rejected material if any will be moved to Reject Material Bay (stored separately in specified location) and tagged ‘Reject ‘ to be followed up with Purchase for return to the vendor. While switching over from handling of nonfood grade to food grade or before handling food items strict personal hygiene is insisted to be followed. The segregation must be done between food & nonfood grade items to prevent any potential cross contamination. The food store and non food store shall be under the safe custody of security and store in charge. The pest control activities in the stores (Main and Day Stores) will be carried out in coordination with the QA department. The house keeping activities are carried out as per the house keeping schedule.

The kitchen is ISO 22000: 2005 certified. In addition, a regularly monitored audit happens for cooked food through a NABL accredited lab in Bangalore. The cooking fuel is steam generated (temperature: more than 90 degrees) in brick boilers and injected through individual lines to the cooking areas. Power generated through a 5.5khz solar panel is used for lights and fans. All the cooked food waste and reject fuels the bio gas plant in the premises.

Cleaning regimen in pre-processing and kitchen

Rangaraju, Assistant Manager, Operations Head, TAPF explains the washing and sanitizing regimen in the TAPF kitchen. “A three tier washing process is followed in the Akshaya Patra kitchen. Before cooking, the equipment is rinsed with clean water (chlorine concentration maintained at 50-100 ppm), then scrubbed using food-grade soapoil, washed with jet washer and then finally sterilized with hot water. The vegetables are washed in the vegetable washing machine and also manually, then sent to the pre processing area to be cleaned and cured. Mechanical potato peelers are also used in the kitchen. The semi-processed vegetables are then stored in the cold storage.

The plastic cutting boards and knives are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. The boards are cleaned by flooding the crate or tank with a solution of sanitizer; they are dipped before the start of the operation and cleaned with potable water after cutting is finished. Similarly after operation, the vegetable cutting machines are first washed with plain water. Then soap solution is applied and vegetable cutter is scrubbed with the detergent solution and then washed with plain water to remove the applied soap. After that, 15ppm chlorine water is applied onto the equipment followed by pouring excess hot water to remove the excess chlorine, if any. Each day after the cooking and packing are done, the kitchen floors are sprayed with soapoil, scrubbed manually with brushes and washed with jet washers. The floors are wiped dry completely. The vessels are scrubbed, rinsed and cleaned by steam sterilization. Cauldrons, trolleys, rice chutes, sambar or dal tanks, cutting boards and knives are sanitised with steam just before use.”

The food that is sent for distribution is packed into steam sterilized vessels. All the food contact surfaces are of either 304 grade stainless steel or food grade plastic. Great quality norms are followed while delivering the food too. “High quality standards are followed while delivering food to the schools as well. The body of the vehicles is insulated with thermocol to retain the heat inside. The vehicles are water washed with a pressure jet on the previous day, while the cleanliness of the vehicle is again checked before loading the food inside. Stainless steel racks meant for vessels of small, medium and big sizes are laid inside to secure the vessels and prevent spillage. The temperature of the food is checked once more during delivery as well,”says Rangaraju.

The food is kept in the designated space in the schools with lock and key facility and an exhaustive dos and donts list. Every day, the food quality inspection team comprising four people visits the school and collects the feedback from the school staff, children and sometimes parents too. Food quality, quantity, taste and texture are then improvised accordingly.

The TAPF quality inspectors also ensure that the food storage area is kept clean of cobwebs, pests etc. The distribution vessels are cleaned and maintained well. Soap solution is applied as per prescribed solution and the vessels are scrubbed to remove the food remnants that is stuck to the vessels. Then they are washed with plain water under the shower to completely remove the soap applied. Steam sterilization is done before packing the food in the morning.”

A rigorous wash regimen is part of the kitchen process. “Hands should be washed before starting work after breaks and going to the toilet. The same procedure should be repeated when switching between handling of raw material and end product or semi-finished product. After touching face, nose, hair, or any other body part and after sneezing and coughing. Hands, forearms, nails should be washed thoroughly with running water and soap from a dispenser, rinse of any remaining soap with plenty of running water and dry with hand drier. Hands should be disinfected incase of illness or after cleaning duties and in between the operations also,” Rangaraju tells us.

 

 

TAPF’s reach

Akshaya Patra caters to 666 schools in South Bangalore through its two kitchens in Kanakpura Road that was started in 2007 and Rajaji Nagar kitchen that was started in 2001 and feeds 96,0000 children in the government and private aided schools per day. All the menus meet the nutritional values in terms of protien and energy too. About six to seven metric tonnes of rice, two metric tonnes of thuar dhal, five metric tonnes of vegetables are used each day. In addition, curd sourced directly from the diary is given and cold flavored milk (150 ml per child) is provided to the government school children on alternative days.

TAPF staff training

Rangaraju updates us on administration, staff induction and training at TAPF. “The 104 strong production team members are divided between different departments and they supervise the different activities such as pre-processing, cooking, packing, day shift vegetable cutting, washing, raw material movement and so on. All the 270 staff members at Akshaya Patra are well trained in personal and hand hygiene and also in the general hygiene protocol followed in the kitchen. The different areas are equipped with washing stations, disinfectants and hand sanitizers. The staff members are also issued personal protective equipment such as gloves, gum boots, caps and masks. The activities in all the four floors are walkie-talkie controlled. We create the awareness in the beginning and then the staff stick to it throughout their tenure here. People who opt to work here are committed to the service motive and once they join, continue to work for several years with us. The attrition rate is very less.”

In terms of personal hygiene, clean, appropriate and protective clothing should be used. Nails should be properly trimmed, without nail paint and no artificial nails allowed. Use of caps, hand gloves, aprons is enforced when handling food. Head should be covered in hairnet or cap, never kept open. Beard and mustaches must be neat and trimmed and protective cover should be used. Employees must work in clean condition and without noticeable body odour; strong perfumes should not be used as perfume smell may get absorbed in food product. Employees with Diarrhoea, Soar throat running nose, inflammations, open wounds or skin diseases may not work with unpacked food or drinks and should inform their immediate superior. The immediate superior should be informed of all injuries. Each employee shall under go medical check up during joining time and it shall be rechecked every year. Employees shall work in food preparation areas only after getting the medical check up done. No smoking and chewing of tobacco, supari, pan shall occur inside food handling premises. They should also refrain from chewing gum or eating candy during work in a food production area. The employees are allowed to eat and drink in designated areas only.

The processes are supervised and monitored periodically. The supervisors are responsible for the overall functioning of the department in accordance with the laid down procedure.

They are also responsible for planning of master cleaning activities and assigning of cleaning activities. The cleaning schedule and pattern, the schedule and frequency for cleaning of the each of the areas as per the house keeping records are also the supervisor’s responsibilities. The supervisor reviews and changes the master-cleaning schedule every time there is a change in procedures, or equipment. Employee inputs are added in the program during staff meetings. The house keeping supervisor makes random inspection of various areas to ensure that cleanliness levels are maintained at all areas and premises and report to the management.

Exterior cleaning

Cleaning is carried out at each nook and cranny of the Akshaya Patra Foundation buildings-windows, panels, switch boards, light bulbs, ventilators, exhaust fans, insecticutors, glass racks, ceilings, public bathrooms, tiles, etc. Public areas like reception, corridors, staff canteen and public toilets are kept clean and well arranged on day-to-day basis. The housekeeping supervisors verify the maintenance of the public areas and ensure that they are clean and as per the standard.

An integrated pest management (IPM) program is in place in TAPF. All the deliveries are checked before they enter the store. The shipments that have signs of pest infestation are rejected. All the exterior openings are closed tightly. The doors are checked for proper fit as part of the regular cleaning schedule. Strategic enty strip curtains are used to prevent the entry of pests. Any openings, cracks, broken seals, or other opportunities for pest infestation are reported to the Kitchen Supervisor. The garbage is disposed off quickly and correctly. Spills around garbage containers are cleaned immediately. The containers are washed, rinsed, and sanitized regularly. The recyclables are stored in clean, pest-proof containers away from the building. All the raw material and supplies are stored as quickly as possible and kept at least six inches off the floor and six inches away from walls. FIFO (First In, First Out) inventory rotation is used. Wet towels and mop heads should be taken to the cleaning area at the end of each shift to minimize the risk of infestation by pests.

The facility is cleaned and sanitized thoroughly and regularly. Careful cleaning eliminates the food supply for pests, destroys insect eggs, and reduces the number of places pests can take shelter. IPCA certified pest control agency is chosen to work with. The pest control operator (PCO) are trained to determine the best pesticide for each pest, and how and where to apply it. The PCO should store and dispose off all pesticides used in the facility. Review infestation and control issues are with PCO.

“Contamination is out of question in Akshaya Patra and there is no compromise on quality and hygiene. Here, we don’t merely want to provide a meal; we want to provide health, hope and above all, happiness to the millions of children who are in need of it. And we are committed to doing it in a safe and sustainable manner, which will survive the challenges of the future.”