A protest by anganwadi workers in Mumbai has brought renewed attention to the quality of food being supplied to children and pregnant women under Maharashtra’s supplementary nutrition programme. Workers affiliated with the Anganwadi Employees’ Union (CITU Maharashtra) gathered at Azad Maidan on September 9, alleging that the Take Home Ration (THR) supplied through anganwadis is often of poor quality and, in some instances, may be unfit for consumption. The THR programme is intended to provide supplementary nutrition to children aged six months to six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, among other beneficiaries. According to the protesting workers, however, beneficiaries are increasingly reluctant to consume the food supplied to them. The workers have raised concerns over the quality of nutritional powder and ready-to-cook khichdi premixes distributed through the anganwadi network. They allege that instances of rat droppings and other contamination, along with poor-quality ingredients, have been observed in the supplies. The allegations are particularly significant because the supplementary nutrition programme is meant to address nutritional deficiencies among some of the state's most vulnerable groups. Public health experts have noted that questions about the palatability and quality of THR are not new, with past reviews finding similar concerns and beneficiaries reporting using the food as animal feed. Activists also point to the incorporation of oil in khichdi mixes as a potential cause for unpleasant odours and the rising food costs necessitating a higher allocation per beneficiary. The workers are demanding an increase to ₹24 per child per day, citing the rising prices of raw materials. The workers have also raised issues concerning their own remuneration and working conditions, seeking better incentives and complaining about delayed payments. Following the protest, discussions with the Women and Child Development Department reportedly led to an agreement to check THR quality and increase incentives, though no official communication has been provided. Public health experts emphasize the need for supplementary nutrition to be safe, palatable, culturally acceptable, and nutritionally adequate, with robust monitoring across the supply chain.

A protest by anganwadi workers in Mumbai has brought renewed attention to the quality of food being supplied to children and pregnant women under Maharashtra’s supplementary nutrition programme. Workers affiliated with the Anganwadi Employees’ Union (CITU Maharashtra) gathered at Azad Maidan on September 9, alleging that the Take Home Ration (THR) supplied through anganwadis is often of poor quality and, in some instances, may be unfit for consumption. The THR programme is intended to provide supplementary nutrition to children aged six months to six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, among other beneficiaries. According to the protesting workers, however, beneficiaries are increasingly reluctant to consume the food supplied to them. The workers have raised concerns over the quality of nutritional powder and ready-to-cook khichdi premixes distributed through the anganwadi network. They allege that instances of rat droppings and other contamination, along with poor-quality ingredients, have been observed in the supplies. The allegations are particularly significant because the supplementary nutrition programme is meant to address nutritional deficiencies among some of the state's most vulnerable groups. Public health experts have noted that questions about the palatability and quality of THR are not new, with past reviews finding similar concerns and beneficiaries reporting using the food as animal feed. Activists also point to the incorporation of oil in khichdi mixes as a potential cause for unpleasant odours and the rising food costs necessitating a higher allocation per beneficiary. The workers are demanding an increase to ₹24 per child per day, citing the rising prices of raw materials. The workers have also raised issues concerning their own remuneration and working conditions, seeking better incentives and complaining about delayed payments. Following the protest, discussions with the Women and Child Development Department reportedly led to an agreement to check THR quality and increase incentives, though no official communication has been provided. Public health experts emphasize the need for supplementary nutrition to be safe, palatable, culturally acceptable, and nutritionally adequate, with robust monitoring across the supply chain.

A protest by anganwadi workers in Mumbai has brought renewed attention to the quality of food being supplied to children and pregnant women under Maharashtra’s supplementary nutrition programme. Workers affiliated with the Anganwadi Employees’ Union (CITU Maharashtra) gathered at Azad Maidan on September 9, alleging that the Take Home Ration (THR) supplied through anganwadis is often of poor quality and, in some instances, may be unfit for consumption. The THR programme is intended to provide supplementary nutrition to children aged six months to six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, among other beneficiaries. According to the protesting workers, however, beneficiaries are increasingly reluctant to consume the food supplied to them. The workers have raised concerns over the quality of nutritional powder and ready-to-cook khichdi premixes distributed through the anganwadi network. They allege that instances of rat droppings and other contamination, along with poor-quality ingredients, have been observed in the supplies. The allegations are particularly significant because the supplementary nutrition programme is meant to address nutritional deficiencies among some of the state's most vulnerable groups. Public health experts have noted that questions about the palatability and quality of THR are not new, with past reviews finding similar concerns and beneficiaries reporting using the food as animal feed. Activists also point to the incorporation of oil in khichdi mixes as a potential cause for unpleasant odours and the rising food costs necessitating a higher allocation per beneficiary. The workers are demanding an increase to ₹24 per child per day, citing the rising prices of raw materials. The workers have also raised issues concerning their own remuneration and working conditions, seeking better incentives and complaining about delayed payments. Following the protest, discussions with the Women and Child Development Department reportedly led to an agreement to check THR quality and increase incentives, though no official communication has been provided. Public health experts emphasize the need for supplementary nutrition to be safe, palatable, culturally acceptable, and nutritionally adequate, with robust monitoring across the supply chain.

A protest by anganwadi workers in Mumbai has brought renewed attention to the quality of food being supplied to children and pregnant women under Maharashtra’s supplementary nutrition programme.

Workers affiliated with the Anganwadi Employees’ Union (CITU Maharashtra) gathered at Azad Maidan on September 9, alleging that the Take Home Ration (THR) supplied through anganwadis is often of poor quality and, in some instances, may be unfit for consumption.

The THR programme is intended to provide supplementary nutrition to children aged six months to six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, among other beneficiaries.

According to the protesting workers, however, beneficiaries are increasingly reluctant to consume the food supplied to them.

The workers have raised concerns over the quality of nutritional powder and ready-to-cook khichdi premixes distributed through the anganwadi network. They allege that instances of rat droppings and other contamination, along with poor-quality ingredients, have been observed in the supplies.

“The quality of the food is a serious concern because these are children and pregnant women who are supposed to benefit from the programme,” said Sangeeta Kamble, general secretary, Anganwadi Employees’ Union (CITU Maharashtra).

Workers claim that a substantial proportion of beneficiaries either reject or discard the food because of its taste, smell or quality. 

The allegations are particularly significant because the supplementary nutrition programme is meant to address nutritional deficiencies among some of the state's most vulnerable groups.

However, public health experts tell THE WEEK that questions about the palatability and quality of THR are not new.

A review conducted in 2015 across seven tribal districts of Maharashtra by the Nutrition Rights Coalition, along with various NGOs, examined the food being provided under the programme. 

According to Dr Abhay Shukla, a member of the Nutrition Rights Coalition, the review had found concerns with the preparation and acceptability of the premixes.

A subsequent assessment in 2025 reportedly found similar concerns among beneficiaries.

“In the survey, nearly 90 per cent of parents said they were using the food as animal feed,” Shukla said.

According to activists, one concern is that the ready-to-cook khichdi mix is supplied with oil already incorporated into it. This, they allege, can contribute to an unpleasant or stale odour, making young children particularly unwilling to eat it.

The dispute also raises questions about whether the current allocation is adequate to provide nutritionally appropriate meals amid rising food costs.

According to the workers, the current provision works out to approximately ₹8 per beneficiary per day for the prescribed food allocation. They are demanding an increase to ₹24 per child per day, citing the rising prices of raw materials.

The existing nutrition package reportedly includes ready-to-cook food mixes and premixes instead of traditional raw food grains

Activists argue that the allocation must account not merely for calories but also for the quality and diversity of ingredients, including pulses, cereals, vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods.

The anganwadi workers have also raised issues concerning their own remuneration and working conditions.

During the protest, the union sought better incentives for anganwadi workers and urged the state government to intervene in the quality of THR supplied to beneficiaries.

Protesting workers told THE WEEK that they receive only 65 paise per student as a cooking allowance by the Maharashtra Consumer Federation, with which they are also expected to cover expenses related to vegetables and fuel. And even these payments are delayed by up to 6 months at times.

Following the protest, workers said they had increased with the joint secretary of the Women and Child Developement Department who reportedly agreed to check the quality of THR and increase incentives for Anganwadi workers. However, the official did not provide any official communication. 

For a programme designed to improve nutrition among young children and expectant mothers, acceptability is as important as availability. Food that is distributed but not consumed cannot serve its intended purpose.

Public health experts say the government needs to ensure that supplementary nutrition is safe, palatable, culturally acceptable and nutritionally adequate, while maintaining robust monitoring across the supply chain.

The latest allegations therefore put the spotlight not only on the contents of the THR packets, but also on the larger system of procurement, storage, transportation, quality control and monitoring.

As of date, as per official figures, Maharashtra distributes Take-Home Rations (THR) through approximately 1 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) to close to 64 lakh registered beneficiaries across the state.

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