Over 2,000 eggs supplied to government schools in Erode district found rotten

Rotten eggs supplied to schools in Kodumudi & Modakkurichi blocks; 90-92K eggs supplied weekly; 1,348 & 767 eggs found rotten in 27 & 13 schools respectively; company asked to replace eggs; samples taken for testing; extreme climatic change may have caused fever in chickens, leading to bad eggs.

As many as 2,115 eggs that were supplied to the noon-meal centres at government schools in Kodumudi and Modakkurichi blocks in Erode district were found rotten in the last three days when they were boiled for serving.

Close to 92,000 eggs are supplied to primary and middle schools in the district every week for students studying from Classes I to VIII under the mid-day meal programme. There are 126 schools in Modakkurichi taluk and 90 schools in Kodumudi taluk that receive eggs every week.

Cooks and organisers at the noon-meal centres in many of these schools noticed that the eggs were rotten on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They took up the issue with the school heads. The eggs were not served to the students and officials of the Noon Meal Programme at the Collectorate were alerted.

Sources in the department told The Hindu 1,348 eggs in 27 schools in Modakkurichi taluk and 767 eggs in 13 schools in Kodumudi taluk were found rotten. All the schools received the eggs on November 1 for serving to children for three days, the sources added.

The company that supplied the eggs was asked to replace the rotten ones which they did on Friday. Also, the department took samples of the eggs for testing.

A poultry farmer said that due to extreme climatic change, the hens could be infected. But the hens and the eggs would look normal, he added.