The Karnataka government has stopped the distribution of ‘chikki’ (candy made of peanut with jaggery or sugar), in state schools due to health concerns, reported India Today.
A report from the Deputy Commissioner (School Education) of Dharwad raised concerns about the candy’s high sugar content and excess unsaturated fats, which could negatively impact children’s health. The report also flagged issues related to improper storage and instances of expired chikkis being distributed. As a result, the Department of School Education and Literacy has decided to discontinue chikki with immediate effect.
Schools have now been instructed to replace chikki with eggs or bananas under the Midday Meal Scheme.
Chikki was introduced in 2021 as a replacement for bananas for children who do not consume eggs. Before its rollout, the Karnataka government had asked the Karnataka Milk Federation to provide samples of the candy for a pilot program, which began in late December 2021.
This decision will impact approximately 8 lakh children who previously opted for chikki as a nutritional supplement, leaving them with a choice between bananas or eggs. However, data from the Department of Public Instruction shared with the Indian Express in December 2022 showed that only 2.27 lakh children preferred chikki, while nearly 80% of students opted for eggs in their midday meals. The data was collected from Class 1 to 8 government school students a year after chikki was introduced as a supplementary food item.
