NEW DELHI / AGARTALA, May 10 (TIWN): Nearly 11 crore children having mid-day-meals daily can expect more wholesome food in the coming months as the HRD Ministry has revised food norms after seven years. In fact, norms for cereals have been revised for the first time since MDM came into force in 1995.

A committee headed by Vinod Paul, head of neo-natal department, AIIMS has recommended reduction in cereal intake - 100 grams to 90 grams for primary school children and 150 grams to 125 grams for upper primary school children -but added extra items like milk, milk products, eggs and bananas to the meal. Many experts are asking if the government has enough money to fund this revision, though MDM will be saving around Rs 600 crore since cereals will now be available at a subsidised rate - rice at Rs 3kg and wheat at Rs 2kg under the National Food Security Act. Cooking cost has also undergone change. It has. increased to Rs 5.55 for primary school children from Rs 3.86 and to Rs 8.28 for upper primary children. Committee has said cooking cost should be revised every two years. 

There has also been increase in oil-fat intake from 5 grams to 10 grams for pri mary children and from 10 grams to 15 grams for upper primary children. The committee has recommended that oils should be a mix of three combinations: Palmolein-coconut-oilg'hee; sunflower or mustard-soybean or linseed. This would increase fat energy content in meals from 13% to 20% but still fall short of National Institute of Nutrition's recommendation of 25%-30% for children in primary and upper primary schools. 

Vegetable and pulse intake has remain unchanged.For upper primary children, vegetable intake will be 75 gram per child and for primary children 50 gram.Pulse intake will be 30 grams for upper primary and 20 grams for primary children.