A7. Cookware, Calcium & Kitchen Safety

A 2021 systematic review found that cooking in iron pots raises the iron content of food, although it called for larger trials on blood haemoglobin. [13] Brass must be tin-lined (kalai) for cooking, re-tinned every one to two years, and not used for acidic dishes. [14] ICMR-NIN's 2024 guidelines caution that non-stick pans should not be heated beyond 170 °C. [15]

Finger millet (ragi) contains around 364 mg of calcium per 100 g — far more than rice or wheat — which is why ragi appears across breakfasts, breads and recovery dishes here. [16] Under FSSAI Schedule 4 hygiene requirements, refrigerators should run below 5 °C and freezers below −18 °C, logged twice daily, with pest-control records and annual medical fitness for food handlers. [17]