Colombo school canteen policy aims to improve nutrition across 142 schools by upgrading facilities and restricting unhealthy food.
The Colombo school canteen policy will introduce healthier food standards to improve nutrition and protect the health of schoolchildren across the city, Colombo Mayor Wraya Calee Balthazar has said.
The new initiative focuses on providing better-quality, nutritious meals for children attending 142 schools within the Colombo Municipal Council area.
The Mayor announced details of the initiative while attending a special programme in Colombo to unveil the new school canteen food policy.
She said many food items currently available in school canteens may be popular with children. However, some contain potentially harmful ingredients, including excessive levels of sugar.
The Colombo Municipal Council has identified 86 school canteens for facility upgrades as part of efforts to change the situation.
“Although some schools want to provide fresh fruit juice to children, those canteens do not have a refrigerator or a blender. Another place doesn’t have an oven. Through this project, we are identifying each school’s needs and providing those equipment,” the Mayor said.
Under the Colombo school canteen policy, authorities have also moved to restrict or ban several unhealthy products. These include foods containing artificial flavourings, ice packets, ice pops and certain types of chocolates considered harmful to children’s health.
Balthazar said Sri Lanka should examine the nutritious school meals offered to children in developed countries. She stressed that her goal is to move the country’s school system towards similarly high standards.
“We too should move towards a model like the school meals provided to children in developed countries. It is essential to build a nutritious food culture for the future of our children,” she further stated.
The initiative combines restrictions on unhealthy products with practical improvements to school canteen facilities. By identifying the specific equipment needs of individual schools, the Colombo Municipal Council aims to help canteens offer fresher and more nutritious choices.
The Colombo school canteen policy ultimately seeks to create a healthier food culture for children while improving the quality of meals available during the school day.
