HCMC, Vietnam: Strengthening food safety in schools

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training issued Official Dispatch 4793/SGDDT-CTTT in 2022 on strengthening the work of ensuring hygiene and food safety in educational establishments.

HCMC, Vietnam: Strengthening food safety in schools (Internet image)

In recent times, the work of ensuring hygiene and food safety has received attention from educational institutions, implementing regulations well, and creating a safe environment for learners. In order to continue to better implement regulations and ensure safety and health protection for learners when organizing school meals, the Department of Education and Training requests heads of units implement some specific contents as follows:

1. Strictly implement the provisions of the Food Safety Law, Decree 155/2018/ND-CP dated November 12, 2018, and Joint Circular 13/2016/TTLT-BYT-BGDDT.

2. Continue to implement the instructions in the documents issued by the Department of Education and Training.

The head of the unit is responsible for controlling and ensuring that food supplied to kitchens, cafeterias, and food supply facilities for students and canteens in schools is safe according to regulations and has a clear origin. Use safe food ingredients, ensure control of the origin of food used in kitchens and school canteens, and food sources processed in schools must meet one of the following standards: VietGAP, GlobalGAP, HACCP, ISO 22000, "Safe food chain", Certificate of facility qualified for food safety, or other international certifications on food safety.

Heads of agencies and units are responsible for ensuring hygiene and food safety at the unit. Propaganda and education to improve awareness and responsibilities of educational administrators, teachers, school staff, students, and parents
on ensuring hygiene, food safety, and preventing food-borne diseases and food poisoning.

Strictly control food origins and stages: processing, preserving, and transporting food in educational establishments; comply with the three-step delivery and food inspection process; and store food samples according to regulations. Use cooked food and boiled water. It is strictly forbidden to allow food production and supply facilities that do not fully comply with food safety regulations and do not have a Certificate of eligibility for Food Safety to supply food or meals for schools. There are self-inspection solutions for food safety in kitchens and canteens in schools.

Strengthen medical work and school environmental sanitation to prevent and control diseases transmitted by unsafe water sources; Mobilize a team of teachers, educational administrators, pupils, and students to participate in cleaning the school grounds, clearing sewers, collecting waste around the school grounds, and cleaning and disinfecting classrooms. Plan to maintain warranty and maintenance activities for clean water and sanitation facilities in educational establishments.

Strengthen close coordination between schools, families, and local authorities in educating and guiding children and students to comply with regulations on food safety, personal hygiene, and environmental hygiene. Ensure proper nutrition combined with increased physical activity appropriate to the age and physical condition of children and students and the conditions of the children and students' families to improve health and prevent and control epidemics and non-communicable diseases. Develop a plan to implement the school health program for the period 2021–2025 at the unit.

3. Strengthen interdisciplinary inspection and examination of Education - Health, mobilize the participation of the school's representative board of parents and students in supervising student health care, food safety, and school hygiene at educational establishments; detect and promptly handle violations of food safety and sanitary conditions in schools to ensure the health of children and students.

The Department of Education and Training advises the District Health Steering Committee to strengthen inspection and supervision of student health care, food safety, and school hygiene at educational establishments; detect and promptly handle violations of food safety and sanitary conditions in educational establishments.

More details can be found in Official Dispatch 4793/SGDDT-CTTT dated December 2, 2022

Nhu Mai

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