"Seventeen children suffering from food poisoning were admitted to private and government hospitals at Sanand and at Kadi in Mehsana," a police official said.
The children, of Anadej village under Sanand taluka, started showing symptoms of food poisoning when they reached home from the Anganwadi, where they were served a sweet item made from rice in the morning.
An anganwadi is a courtyard, a play centre located within a village or a slum. It is the focal point for delivery of all services provided under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit, tabled in Parliament in March 2013, had found that substandard food was being distributed by Anganwadi centres in Gujarat.