June 7, 2020 is World Food Safety Day, and at Akshaya Patra food safety is prioritized from farm to plate, to ensure the safety of the 1.8 million government school children we feed every day. The heroes behind the seamless production and delivery of hot, nutritious meals delivered daily from our 52 Mega Kitchens are our quality team and kitchen staff.  

Here’s what they have to say: 

Quality Executive Shreyas Waghmare from our Thane kitchen, says, “Whenever we open the kitchen in the morning, the only aim is to make food that is liked by all. We have constant pressure to maintain the taste and quality of each item. But then when we see empty vessels coming back and not a single grain has been wasted, we feel very proud of 
what we do, and how we do it.”

Lokesh has worked at Akshaya Patra’s Hubballi kitchen for the last decade, starting out as a cook, he now supervises the entire cooking process. He says, “During my school days, we did not have the opportunity to have mid-day meals. I am from an economically weak background and I understand the value of food.” Adding, “I will raise funds through my friends and deliver good education, food, and shelter for the deprived students in Belagavi, where I am from. They are also just like my sisters and brothers.”

Virupaksh is a cook at our kitchen in Hubballi. He says that working in our kitchen, and also serving through our Relief Efforts in Kodagu during the floods have given him a new perspective. “After working here in this Foundation I have learned what food wastage means and I have also decided to extend my help to the food-deprived children and continue my Annadana Mahadana mission.”

A widow for the past five years, Lalitha devi is the only breadwinner at home. She has been a part of the Akshaya Patra family for nine years, and works out of our kitchen in Jaipur. This mother of four is part of the group of vegetable cutters, she says, “If it wasn’t for my work in the Akshaya Patra kitchen it would be difficult for me to survive. Now I am financially independent and satisfied that I am contributing to the happiness of one lakh students.” 

On World Food Safety we salute these heroes whose diligence every day helps us feed hungry children desperately in need of a nutritious meal.