The three month-long PPP project — where Heinz India, Indian affiliate of HJ Heinx Co (USA), will be providing sachets free of cost--will benefit 18,325 children in anganwadis from five blocks in Maharashtra. Elviyanti Martini, health and nutrition programme director, Helen Keller International from Indonesia who helped making state-specific information material according to the requirements of the state.

“We dint realize that any powder was mixed in the khichdi,” anganwadi student Shreyas Sawant (6) said.

Even though Mumbai will not be part of the three month long pilot project, the minister promised to introduce it in the city where there were severe problems due to urban malnutrition.

During this period the children will be administered a powder each, every two days--colorless and flavourless, it can be sprinkled on any food, just before serving.

The anganwadi workers in all of these five blocks have been trained by the KEM Hospital Research Center to check haemoglobin levels of children. “The research center will monitor the project. At the beginning, haemoglobin levels of randomly chosen children will be tested and after 120 days we will again check the levels to prove the efficacy of the powder,”Juvelkar said.