The idea of midday meals or lunch at schools is to provide essential nutrition to millions of children across India, improving health and learning outcomes. As per experts, it was found that balanced meals help fight malnutrition and support physical and cognitive development of growing kids. But recently, in an unfortunate incident more than 100 students fell sick in the northeastern town of Mokama after eating the school lunch.
As per the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) more than 100 students fell sick in the northeastern town of Mokama after eating the school meal last week. It was reported that the school cook served the food to about 500 children after removing a dead snake from it.

The NHRC has demanded local police to provide a “detailed” report of the incident within two weeks, which is expected to include the health status of the affected children, the NHRC statement said in a report.

For the unversed, the free school meals, known as the Mid-Day Meal, were first introduced for children from poor backgrounds in the southern city of Chennai (Madras) in 1925. It was introduced to combat hunger and boost school attendance.
The commission has observed that the contents, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the students.

Side effect of such contaminated food
As per experts, the most common health risk of consuming such contaminated food is bacterial contamination. Dead animals, including snakes, rapidly become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Clostridium, and E. coli and these can cause severe food poisoning, with symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and dehydration.
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It is also said that as the snake decomposes, it releases putrefactive toxins. These can lead to toxic shock, especially if ingested in large quantities or by individuals with weak immunity.The venom can damage oral tissues and can cause ulcer. Some snakes carry parasites (like roundworms or flukes) that could contaminate food and lead to gastrointestinal or systemic infections.
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