Ministry bans seven food items from school cafeterias

• The Ministry of Education approved 14 companies to supply school cafeterias, emphasizing daily fresh products and rejecting items with less than half their shelf life.

• The ministry mandates that food and beverages not be sold if their packaging is damaged or data is obscured, that all food should be packaged in containers that meet specifications, and that glass containers are not used.

The Ministry of Education is swiftly preparing for the upcoming school year, operating at full capacity to ensure all educational levels are equipped to start without any issues, according to Al Rai newspaper.

In preparing school cafeterias, the ministry has identified food products approved by the General Authority for Food and Nutrition that are permitted for sale in school cafeterias, including juices, pies, milk, and sandwiches, as well as a variety of biscuits, crackers, salads, and fruits.

Meanwhile, the ministry has banned seven food items from being sold in school cafeterias, including soft drinks, canned juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, and other similar products.

The ministry has approved fourteen food companies to supply items approved by the Food and Nutrition Authority to school cafeterias, emphasizing the importance of meeting health requirements for food and beverages.

Key requirements include supplying fresh milk products, sandwiches, pies, and pastries on the day they are produced, not accepting food items with a shelf life of more than a month after half of the shelf life has passed, and ensuring all food and beverages comply with the healthy school nutrition standards set by the Food and Nutrition Authority.

Additionally, the ministry mandates that food and beverages not be sold if their packaging is damaged or data is obscured, that all food should be packaged in containers that meet specifications, and that glass containers are not used.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s educational facilities sector has instructed its engineering staff to complete school preparations before the start of September, ensuring that all necessary requirements are met for a smooth start to the academic year at all educational levels.

List of prohibited foods

The General Authority for Food and Nutrition has identified the following foods that are not permitted to be sold in school cafeterias:

1. Soft drinks of all kinds.
2. Fruit drinks of all kinds.
3. Sports drinks and foods.
4. Energy drinks and foods.
5. Chewing gum, lollipops, candy, and sweets of all kinds.
6. French fries and processed meats, such as sausages.
7. Pickles, mayonnaise, and fatty sauces.