At least 17 children, in the age group of 3-5 years, today complained of food poisoning after they consumed food at a village Anganwadi here, police said.
"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.
Anganwadis were started by the Union government in 1975 as a part of the ICDS scheme to combat child hunger and malnutrition. They take care of all round developmental needs of children who are below six years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers, in the age group of 15-45 years.
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.
