Ministry of Health issues new guidelines on food safety for school boarding and semi-boarding meals
The Ministry of Health requires local authorities to strengthen management, nutrition control, and food safety in educational institutions per Official Dispatch 8075/BYT-ATTP.
According to Official Dispatch No. 8075/BYT-ATTP dated October 26, 2026, the Ministry of Health has officially requested provincial and municipal People's Committees to direct the Department of Health and relevant agencies to strengthen the management and supervision of food safety (FS) as well as the nutritional quality of boarding and semi-boarding meals within the educational system.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that educational institutions must develop scientific menus that are nutritionally balanced according to age groups and school levels, meeting students' essential energy requirements. In particular, schools must clearly delineate responsibilities between meal suppliers and the school at each stage of receiving, processing, and transporting to avoid overlapping or missing responsibilities when incidents occur. Furthermore, limiting foods high in sugar, salt, and fat in school canteens is also a top priority.
Regarding process control, catering service providers must strictly adhere to the three-step food inspection procedure and retain food samples according to legal regulations. Management must be tight from the stage of selecting input ingredients, preparation, and storage to serving the final meal, aiming to thoroughly prevent the risk of food poisoning.
To proactively respond to emergency situations, educational institutions must develop plans to practice responding to food safety incidents. When signs of poisoning occur, schools have the responsibility to immediately notify the competent health authority, coordinate in investigating the cause, trace the origin of the food, and prioritize the emergency treatment of affected individuals.