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Tribune News Network
Doha
Food products containing high fat, sugar and salt have been banned in school canteens, said Hamad al Rumaihi, chief of canteens section at the Public Services Department under the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The banned items include chocolates, potato chips and nuggets, processed meats, soft drinks, energy drinks and all of which can harm students' health.
The list of food items allowed in school canteens has been updated, bringing the total number of items to more than 60.
Pancakes and sandwiches prepared using only brown flour and whole grains will be supplied for the first time in canteens due to their high nutritional value.
Snacks such as biscuits and cakes will also be provided once in a week. The list also contains several healthy food items such as milk and milk products, salads, fruits and vegetables.
The standing committee for school canteens has held several meetings to set the health and nutritional standards for meals to students, said Rumaihi.
The school canteens section conducts such meetings at the beginning of each school year to ensure that safe and healthy food is served to students.
"Bid requirements for companies and restaurants that supply food products to school canteens were decided before the beginning of the new academic year through intensive procedures. Health and nutritional specifications for food stuffs were also set during this process. The door is still open to receive more applications from companies and restaurants that wish to supply to school canteens," said Rumaihi.
As many as 18 suppliers had been qualified for the job.
Rumaihi said specialised teams at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) have completed inspection of the places of preparation of meals at the companies and restaurants that are participating in the tender.
