School tuck-shops to be rewarded for exemplary food sales practices |18 January 2018
In efforts to bolster compliance to the nationally recognised School Nutrition Policy by several food providers based on school premises, the Health Care Agency is hosting an award ceremony to reward tuck-shop operators with good nutritional practices.
Forty-four tuck-shop operators have been invited to the ceremony which will take place today at the Sheikh Kalifah Diagnostic Centre, where 27 operators will receive an award for their satisfactory compliance to the policy.
The Health Care Agency has noted 60% compliance to the policy.
“Ten operators will be given silver awards and fifteen bronze awards,” says Mrs Rosie Bistoquet, director Family Health & Nutrition Programme at the Health Care Agency.
“Then, there are two outstanding operators who will be awarded Gold Awards for exceptionally meeting requirements, standards and guidelines of the policy,” she adds.
Another highlight of the event is the reveal of the newly introduced TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM for food sales by tuck-shop operators. This new system which is to be implemented in all primary and secondary institutions from the beginning of the new school term of 2018, divides food nutrients into three categories: high, moderate and low nutritional values.
Traffic Light System:
• Foods that fall within the green light are foods that can be sold in unlimited amounts. These should be 70% of the menu.
• Food in the amber zone should be carefully selected and can only be 2 items per day. These would make it 30% of the menu.
• Food in the red light are foods that should not be sold at all.
“It is mandatory for implementation of this guideline to start at the earliest, especially now the rate of overweight, obesity is on the rise among both children and adults; 21% in children, 72% in women and 57% in men respectively,” Mrs Bistoquet adds.
“Tuck-shop operators will be given a period of about 3 months to use up previous stock of food/drink products after which the guidelines should be fully implemented,” she says.
The national school nutrition policy is a joint document between both Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. It was last updated in 2008 and serves as a guide for nutrition in all schools. The policy is currently being revised and will ensure greater provision of healthier snacks for the school children and reduced availability of less favourable choices in the school tuck shops.