School Canteen Food Research Articles

Features of eating behavior of early school-age children in the context of the implementation of the school meals reform

The aim of this study is to study the peculiarities of the eating behaviour of children of primary school age, their food preferences, choice of products and attitudes towards school meals, food habits in the choice of products and attitudes towards the school canteen in the context of the implementation of the school meal reform. Materials and methods. A large-scale medical and sociological study was conducted, which included children (5,401) of primary school age (from 6 to 10 years old) and their parents (4,347 people) from various schools in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Donetsk regions. The questionnaires included questions about food preferences, frequency of consumption of different foods, attitudes towards school meals and factors that influence food choices. The collected data were processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics methods in Excel. Research results indicate a significant level of awareness of the importance of a healthy diet by most children, but an insufficient level of water consumption, an insufficient understanding of the importance of nutrition for maintaining health by children, high popularity of high-carbohydrate products and a low level of satisfaction of some parents with school meals. Conclusions. The conducted analytical research revealed several educational and organizational problems related to the introduction of healthy food in schools, especially within the framework of reforming school food programs. According to the Strategy for reforming the school nutrition system, compliance with the principles of healthy nutrition, ensuring high-quality, safe and healthy nutrition, and improving the taste properties of school nutrition compliance with the principles of healthy nutrition, is extremely important for the preservation of children's health and the prevention of chronic non-infectious diseases. The results of our research indicate the need for additional educational programs for children and parents, the gradual introduction of new food standards, as well as ensuring the availability of healthy food in school canteens, and the implementation of social projects that will contribute to the formation of healthy eating habits

Relative validity of an intelligent ordering system to estimate dietary intake among university students from a medical school in Shanghai, China

BackgroundDietary assessment methods have limitations in capturing real-time eating behaviour accurately. Equipped with automated dietary-data-collection capabilities, the “intelligent ordering system” (IOS) has potential applicability in obtaining long-term consecutive, relatively detailed on-campus dietary records among university students with little resource consumption. We investigated (1) the relative validity of IOS-derived nutrient/food intakes compared to those from the 7-day food diary (7DFD); (2) whether including a supplemental food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) improves IOS accuracy; and (3) sex differences in IOS dietary intake estimation.MethodsMedical students (n = 221; age = 22.2 ± 2.4 years; 38.5% male and 61.5% female) completed the 7DFD and SFFQ. During the consecutive 7-day survey period, students weighed and photographed each meal before and after consumption. Then, students reviewed their 3-month diet and completed the SFFQ, which includes eight underprovided school-canteen food items (e.g., dairy, fruits, nuts). Meanwhile, 9385 IOS dietary data entries were collected. We used Spearman coefficients and linear regression models to estimate the associations among the different dietary intake assessment methods. Individual- and group-level agreement was assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, cross-classification, and Bland‒Altman analysis.ResultsIOS mean daily energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake estimations were significantly lower (-15-20%) than those of the 7DFD. The correlation coefficients varied from 0.52 (for added sugar) to 0.88 (for soybeans and nuts), with fruits (0.37) and dairy products (0.29) showing weaker correlations. Sixty-two (milk and dairy products) to 97% (soybeans and nuts) of participants were classified into the same or adjacent dietary intake distribution quartile using both methods. The energy and macronutrient intake differences between the IOS + SFFQ and 7DFD groups decreased substantially. The separate fruit intake measurements from each assessment method did not significantly differ from each other (p > 0.05). IOS and IOS + SFFQ regression models generally yielded higher R2 values for males than for females.ConclusionDespite estimation differences, the IOS can be reliable for medical student dietary habit assessment. The SFFQ is useful for measuring consumption of foods that are typically unavailable in school cafeterias, improving the overall dietary evaluation accuracy. The IOS assessment was more accurate for males than for females.

Assessment of food availability in New Zealand primary schools

Childhood obesity and overweight rates in New Zealand are considerably higher than that globally with one in three children aged between 2-14 years being overweight or obese(1). Children’s dietary knowledge and food preferences are influenced by various factors including the food environment. Schools are an excellent setting to influence children’s dietary behaviours since they have the potential to reach almost all children during the first two decades of their lives. However, previous analyses indicate many school canteens and food providers do not supply foods that promote healthy eating and nutrition behaviours (2,3). The Ministry of Health (MoH) recently implemented a ‘Food and Drink Guidance for Schools’ which utilises a traffic-light framework dividing foods into three categories: ‘green’, ‘amber’, and ‘red’(4). The aim of this study was to assess primary school canteen food menus against the newly implemented MoH Guidance. A convenience sample of 133 primary school canteen menus were collected in 2020 as part of the baseline evaluation of the Healthy Active Learning initiative across New Zealand. Four researchers (three nutritionists and one dietitian) developed a menu analysis toolkit to undertake the analysis of all menus collected. The toolkit provided a breakdown of commonly packaged foods and meals/menu items available to purchase within schools based on Health Star Ratings, ingredients, and/or standard recipes. Assumptions were created for menu items requiring additional detail to be categorised according to the guidance through consensus by all four researchers. Primary school menus were coded by two researchers, and intercoder reliability was ensured by independent coding and cross-checking of 10% of menus. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS and P<0.05 denoted significance. Analyses of canteen menus revealed that most menu items belonged to the less healthy amber (41.0%) and red (40%) food categories. Low decile schools had a lower percentage of green food items (8.6%) and a higher percentage of red food items (48.3%) compared to high decile schools (p = 0.028). Similarly, schools in low deprivation areas had a significantly higher percentage of green food items (14.2%) compared to high deprivation areas (8.6%) (p = 0.031). Sandwiches, filled rolls, and wraps were the most commonly available items (86%) followed by baked foods and foods with pastry (71%). Sugar-sweetened beverages were just as prevalent as water on school food menus (54% each). Over half of in-house catered canteen menu items were classified as 'red’ foods (55.3%). This study highlights that most school canteens were not meeting the guidelines for healthy food and drink provision outlined by the MoH. Improving school food availability for children in socioeconomically deprived areas needs to be prioritised to reduce inequities. Findings suggest the need for more robust national policies and mandated school guidance to improve the food environments in New Zealand schools.

Food menus within New Zealand primary school canteens: Do they meet the guidance?

Unhealthy food and drinks are widely available in New Zealand school canteens. The aim of this study was to assess primary school canteen food menus against the newly implemented Ministry of Health 'Food and Drink Guidance for Schools'. A convenience sample of 133 primary school canteen menus was collected in 2020 as part of the baseline evaluation of the Healthy Active Learning initiative across New Zealand. A menu analysis toolkit was developed to assess menus in accordance with the Ministry of Health's 'Food and Drink Guidance for Schools' which classifies food items into three food categories: 'green', 'amber' and 'red'. Most menu items belonged to the less healthy amber (41.0%) and red (40%) food categories. Low decile schools had a lower percentage of green food items (8.6%) and a higher percentage of red food items (48.3%) compared to high decile schools. Sandwiches, filled rolls and wraps were the most commonly available items, followed by baked foods and foods with pastry. Over half of the in-house canteen menu items were classified as 'red' foods (55.3%). Most school canteens were not meeting the guidelines for healthy food and drink provision outlined by the Ministry of Health. Improving the food environment for children in socio-economically deprived areas needs to be prioritised to reduce inequities. SO WHAT?: This study highlights the unhealthy food environments in New Zealand schools and emphasises the need for more robust national policies and mandated school guidance.

Epidemiological Evaluation of Bacillus cereus-Induced Foodborne Outbreaks - China, 2010-2020.

Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a common gram-positive bacterium that contaminates starch-rich food and can cause outbreaks of foodborne diseases. This study describes the characteristics of outbreaks caused by B. cereus in China during 2010-2020 and explore the possible reasons for changes in the number of outbreaks over time. Results of this analysis can efficiently help guide and allocate public resources to prevent B. cereus-caused foodborne diseases. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data on B. cereus outbreaks in China during this period. The data were identified and reported at all levels in China through National Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System. From 2010 to 2020, a total of 419 foodborne outbreaks prompted by B. cereus were reported in China, leading to 7,892 cases, 2,786 hospital admissions, and 5 fatalities. The bulk of the outbreaks were recorded in the summer, primarily between May and September. The most recurrent food vehicle was linked with rice or flour-based products, notably those made with rice or fried rice. School canteens bore the brunt of the B. cereus outbreaks. In multifactor outbreaks, food contamination was identified as the most common culprit; while in instances where only one factor contributed, improper storage was most frequently implicated. The prevalence of B. cereus outbreaks remained relatively consistent throughout the studied period. Understanding the types of foods, causative factors, and contributing elements leading to B. cereus outbreaks can help inform prevention strategies for foodborne illnesses. The majority of outbreaks were associated with rice- or flour-based foods in school canteens, suggesting contamination and improper storage during food preparation. Consequently, it is essential to prioritize continuous education for canteen staff on food safety, efficacious management, and proper practices. The implementation of comprehensive guidelines, encompassing multiple critical aspects, can potentially reduce the occurrence of B. cereus outbreaks.

Nutritional Quality of Canteen Foods and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Food Handlers in Health Promoting and Non-Health Promoting Private Secondary Schools of Pune City

ObjectivesTo assess the nutritional quality of foods served in school canteens and Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of food handlers in Health Promoting and Non-Health Promoting Private Secondary Schools of Pune City, India. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in school canteens of the private secondary schools, Pune City. Out of 316 private schools in the city, 32 private secondary schools with on-campus canteen facilities. All food handlers (n = 64) directly involved in food service were interviewed. Data collected included information on different types of foods served in the school canteens, food safety, sanitation and hygiene practices in the school canteens (a scorecard was prepared using FSSAI guidelines to assess school canteens’ food safety, Sanitation and Hygiene of school canteens), and knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of food handlers on food quality, food safety and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) guidelines (a structured pre-tested questionnaire). The nutritional quality of foods served in school canteens was assessed using High Fat Sugar and Salt (HFSS) cut-offs of the FSSAI as healthy and unhealthy. ResultsOut of 32 schools, 25 were Non-Health Promoting (NHPS), and seven schools followed Health Promoting (HPS) concept. HPS had significantly higher provision for healthy food items than non-HPS (87.4% vs 46.2%; p < 0.001). The HPS effectively reduced high-fat foods from the menu (p = 0.03), however reduction in sugar and salt products was not sufficient. Food handlers from the HPS category had higher knowledge to identify healthy foods from the school menu (p < 0.001) and had a better attitude towards healthy foods for school children (p ≤ 0.04). There was no significant difference in food safety practices of food handlers; however, HPS followed safer methods for serving foods (p < 0.001). A few participants from both the school categories had attended any nutrition training program for food handlers (30% for HPS vs 25% Non-HPS; p = 0.68). ConclusionsA few private secondary schools implemented the HPS initiative in Pune City, which positively influenced the school food environment by introducing healthy foods and improved attitudes among food handlers towards healthy foods in school canteens. Funding SourcesThe study was not funded.

A Study on Kitchen Equipment Adoption Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in School Canteen: A Conceptual Framework

Literatures on food safety have widely accepted that one of the reasons leading to food poisoning cases is the mishandling of foods to proper storage and temperature. The said problems require appropriate kitchen equipment to ensure the abuse is kept at bay. In order to probe into the food handlers’ intention to use the equipment, this paper proposes an adapted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to answer this query. The related constructs for independent variables include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and willingness to invest. Questionnaires will be distributed among school canteen food handlers using established TAM items that will be modified to suit the setting of the study. The results of this study will indicate the intention to adopt the kitchen equipment among school canteen food handlers.

Mobile School Canteen Food Ordering System

Food ordering has been familiar nowadays. Everyone is very concerned about time and the necessities of life such as food. The food ordering application helps people to get their food easily and save lots of time. Most of the existing food ordering applications only focused on registered restaurants or food providers based on the specific location. However, there is no special food ordering application that focused on food ordering for school students and canteen food provider in Malaysia. Even though many food ordering applications are available to be used, the most apparent drawback to food ordering applications is that students are unable to use them during breaks at the school. Due to this problem, a mobile application named as Mobile School Canteen Food Ordering System is proposed as an alternative to the school students in selecting and ordering the food offered by the school canteen food provider. In addition, with the implementation of collaborative filtering technique, this system offered one additional function that will recommend the user on healthy meal that the children should consume according to the provided criteria such as foods that contain allergens. This project will benefit many students especially in primary schools whereas 75% of the respondents have agreed that the system is effective in choosing foods easily, facilitate and save their time to get food during breaks.

Availability and consumption of ultra-processed foods in schools in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil: results of the SP-Proso.

Ultra-processed foods are markers of unhealthy eating patterns, and their consumption is high among adolescents. Characteristics of the school eating environment associate with student eating practices. This study aims to investigate the association between the presence of school canteens and the availability of ultra-processed foods in school canteens with the consumption of these foods, inside the school, among adolescents of the 9th grade (14 years) of the public and private schools of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We conducted a cross-sectional study with SP-Proso data, in a sample of 2,680 adolescents. We elaborated multilevel linear regression models to evaluate associations between the exposures: presence of school canteens and availability of ultra-processed foods with outcomes of consumption frequency of ultra-processed foods in the school. We found an association between the presence of school canteens and the higher frequency of consumption of sausages (0.46; 95%CI: 0.24; 0.68), package snacks (0.50; 95%CI: 0.19; 0.80), goodies (0.82; 95%CI: 0.55; 1.09), and sugary drinks (0.34; 95%CI: 0.06; 0.62), as well as a score of consumption frequency of ultra-processed foods (2.37; 95%CI: 1.25; 3.48). The availability of package snacks, goodies, and sugary drinks in school canteens increased the frequency of consumption of these foods. We observed a dose-response effect between the diversity of ultra-processed foods in canteens and the frequency of consumption of these foods. A school food environment with greater availability of ultra-processed products is associated with their higher consumption in school, indicating the need to regulate the sale of food within these institutions.

Healthy food in school canteens, policy directions and deviations: A cross sectional study from Sri Lanka

Introduction: Sri Lanka introduced school canteen guidelines in 2007 to promote healthy food choices and eating habits among school children. This initiative intended to combat malnutrition among school children through provision of nutritious, culturally acceptable food at affordable prices within the school premises. A formal assessment has not been done on the implementation of those guidelines for last seven years. The objective of this study was to assess the availability of healthy food items in school canteens and explore perceptions of providers on adherence to the guidelines. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in government schools in two districts. A mix methodology was employed. An observational check list was used to quantitatively assess the availability of healthy food items according to stipulated guidelines. This was followed by a qualitative inquiry to explore perceptions of school principals and canteen operators on adherence to the guidelines using in-depth interviews. Results: Only two out of ten food items encouraged in the guidelines were available in 50 % of the school canteens. In contrast, five out of nine items prohibited or discouraged were available in half of the canteens. Also 25% of canteens sold carbonated drinks that are totally prohibited. Differential understanding of healthy versus unhealthy, current food habits of students, present method of selecting canteen operators and other external factors contributed negatively. Conclusion: The rigor of implementation was sub optimal at present due to many reasons. Those obstacles can be addressed through coordinated efforts to transform canteen towards a nutrition promoting setting. Keywords: School health, Child and adolescent nutrition, Health promotion, Health policy, Food habits.

Quantification of food waste in school canteens: A mass flow analysis

Despite the growing public, academic and government attention on food waste (FW) issue, there is still little information on the scales and patterns of school canteen food waste, particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia. This paper aims to examine the current status of FW generation by evaluating the key performance indicators (KPIs), analysing the value loss (monetary) of unconsumed food and Mass Flow Analysis (MFA) of each food item from canteens in public schools in Malaysia. The present study adopted the direct weighing FW method. It investigated the amount and patterns of FW in ten school canteens location within the Hulu Selangor municipality, Malaysia. Based on the result gathered, the total quantity of FW generated at ten school canteens is about 101.3 kg/day with a total value of unconsumed food is about RM 195.78. The study also found that the average FW in schools is 6.4 g per portion per day and 12.2 g per capita per day. Staple foods and vegetables are the most commonly wasted food items, and other types of food represent minor waste. The mass balance of food raw materials in the food production process illustrates that 82.6 per cent of the total food input is used to prepare the meals, while the remaining 17.4 per cent end up as FW. The present study empirically promotes the transparency of food waste quantification at the school level, and it can help to identify hotspots and strategies with the most significant potential for waste reduction.

The Impact of a Gradual Healthier Assortment among Vocational Schools Participating in a School Canteen Programme: Evidence from Sales and Student Survey Data.

Many adolescents have poor eating habits. As a major part of their caloric intake takes place at school, the present study aims to examine the effect of increasing the availability of healthier foods in school canteens on sales, student attitude and self-reported behaviour. A quasi-experimental study was carried out at two vocational schools in the Netherlands over a 10-month period, where the visible share of healthier products was gradually or abruptly increased from 60% to 80%. Outcome measures were sales data for healthier and less healthy foods and drinks in the canteens, as well as surveys. The proportion of healthier products sold increased from 31.1% during the baseline period to 35.9% in the final period. A gradual increase led to higher relative sales of healthier products (40%) than an abrupt change (34.5%). Survey data showed that students’ moderate satisfaction remained insensitive to the changes over time. Overall, results suggest that increasing the availability of healthier products in school canteens leads to small positive changes in sales of products, particularly in the product groups beverages and sandwiches. A gradual introduction may ensure that students slowly get used to assortment changes.

“Do you think adolescents’ food intake is satisfactory?” – Views of Indian parents and teachers

Adolescents develop food habits that affect both their present and future health. Underpinned by the stakeholder theory, this study was designed to explore the perspective of parents and nutrition educators regarding urban Indian adolescents’ food habits. Thirty-two educators and 280 parents from five independent, English-speaking, secondary schools in Kolkata, India completed a paper-based instrument consisting of both closed and open-ended measures. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis informed by the Template Analysis Technique. Descriptive and cross-tabulation analyses were employed to assess quantitative data. Three quarters (75%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the ubiquitous consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and sugar-sweetened beverages as well as the low intakes of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables among urban Indian adolescents. Six reasons were advanced for such unhealthy consumption including i) Proliferation of fast food retail outlets; ii) Hyper-palatability of fast food; iii) Marketing of fast food on electronic and social media; iv) Diminished household cooking practices; v) Lack of food knowledge; vi) Tendency to seek peer group acceptance. Both parents and educators suggested some healthy eating strategies aimed at improving the food and nutrition situation in Indian secondary schools to foster healthy eating among pupils. These included: i) Restrictions on the sale of unhealthy foods in school canteens; ii) Increased availability of attractive and palatable nutritious foods; iii) Discussion of the advantages of consuming healthy foods and inclusion of food preparation techniques in the school curriculum; iv) Home Economics coursework to be made mandatory for students. The findings suggest that Indian parents and teachers are likely to support changes to the food and nutrition curricula and to school food provision to foster healthy eating among adolescents.

Relationship between E. coli and Toxicant Contamination in Primary School Canteen Food based on Region and Level in Surabaya, 2017

Introduction: Primary students are still in the developing phase, so they still need enough nutrition. The food source they consume is not only originated from home but also from school snacks. However, it can be said that school snacks can be easily contaminated by E.coli and Hazardous and Toxic Substances (HTS) or toxicant. School plays a major role to regulate the canteen. Therefore, this study aims to know whether there is a relation between the monitoring and controlling of school snacks which E.coli and toxicant free food and the relation of the contaminated foods with the school zone and school status. Methods: This research was conducted with analytics study from secondary datum from the result of the snacks investigation by the Public Health Office of Surabaya on primary school in 2017. Results: The results of this study stated that there is no relationship between E.coli contamination in snacks and cooking utensils and toxicant contamination in snacks with the school region and status in Surabaya. Conclusion: It is needed to enhance the supervision of the school especially for primary school to increase healthy food in school canteen whether it is public school or private school.

School-based intervention that integrates nutrition education and supportive healthy school food environment among Malaysian primary school children: a study protocol

BackgroundMalnutrition among school children may contribute to adverse health consequences such as non-communicable diseases, poor cognitive performance, psychological distress and poor quality of life that may persist into adulthood. In order to prevent childhood malnutrition, an intervention programme that integrates nutrition education and healthy school food environment is needed to provide nutrition information and reinforce the skills on healthy eating behaviours in schools. This paper describes a study protocol of a school-based intervention programme that integrates nutrition education and healthy school food environment, namely School Nutrition Programme (SNP). The SNP is a primary prevention programme that promotes healthy lifestyle among primary school children in light of the high prevalence of malnutrition in Malaysian children.Methods/designThis quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the SNP between intervention and comparison groups before and after the SNP, and after a 3-month follow-up. The SNP consisted of two main components, whereby three nutrition education sessions were implemented by trained teachers using three standardised modules, and healthy school food environment was implemented by the canteen food handlers with the provision of healthy menu to children during school recess times. Children from intervention group participated in the SNP, in addition to the standard Physical and Health Curriculum. The comparison group attended only the standardised Physical and Health Curriculum and the school canteen food handlers were reminded to follow the standard canteen guidelines from the Ministry of Education Malaysia. The assessment parameters in evaluating the effectiveness of the programme were knowledge, attitude and practice on nutrition, eating behaviours, physical activity, body composition, psychological distress, cognitive performance and health-related quality of life. Assessments were conducted at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.DiscussionIt was hypothesised that the SNP would be effective in promoting healthy lifestyle among school children, and further contributes in preventing malnutrition problem, enhancing cognitive performance and improving health-related quality of life among school children. Findings of the present study can be expanded to other schools in future on ways to improve nutrition education and healthy school food environment.Trial registrationUMIN Clinical Trial Registration UMIN000032914 (Date of registration: 7th June 2018, retrospectively registered).Protocol version16th September 2019 & Version 4

Indian Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines on the Fast and Junk Foods, Sugar Sweetened Beverages, Fruit Juices, and Energy Drinks

In view of easy availability and increasing trend of consumption of fast foods and sugar sweetened beverages (fruit juices and drinks, carbonated drinks, energy drinks) in Indian children, and their association with increasing obesity and related non-communicable diseases, there is a need to develop guidelines related to consumption of foods and drinks that have the potential to increase this problem in children and adolescents. To review the evidence and formulate consensus statements related to terminology, magnitude of problem and possible ill effects of junk foods, fast foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks; and to formulate recommendations for limiting consumption of these foods and beverages in Indian children and adolescents. A National Consultative group constituted by the Nutrition Chapter of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), consisting of various stakeholders in private and public sector, reviewed the literature and existing guidelines and policy regulations. Detailed review of literature was circulated to the members, and the Group met on 11th March 2019 at New Delhi for a day-long deliberation on framing the guidelines. The consensus statements and recommendations formulated by the Group were circulated to the participants and a consensus document was finalized. The Group suggests a new acronym 'JUNCS' foods, to cover a wide variety of concepts related to unhealthy foods (Junk foods, Ultra-processed foods, Nutritionally inappropriate foods, Caffeinated/colored/carbonated foods/beverages, and Sugar-sweetened beverages). The Group concludes that consumption of these foods and beverages is associated with higher free sugar and energy intake; and is associated with higher body mass index (and possibly with adverse cardiometabolic consequences) in children and adolescents. Intake of caffeinated drinks may be associated with cardiac and sleep disturbances. The Group recommends avoiding consumption of the JUNCS by all children and adolescents as far as possible and limit their consumption to not more than one serving per week. The Group recommends intake of regional and seasonal whole fruits over fruit juices in children and adolescents, and advises no fruit juices/drinks to infants and young children (age <2y), whereas for children aged 2-5 y and >5-18 y, their intake should be limited to 125 mL/day and 250mL/day, respectively. The Group recommends that caffeinated energy drinks should not be consumed by children and adolescents. The Group supports recommendations of ban on sale of JUNCS foods in school canteens and in near vicinity, and suggests efforts to ensure availability and affordability of healthy snacks and foods. The Group supports traffic light coding of food available in school canteens and recommends legal ban of screen/print/digital advertisements of all the JUNCS foods for channels/magazines/websites/social media catering to children and adolescents. The Group further suggests communication, marketing and policy/taxation strategies to promote consumption of healthy foods, and limit availability and consumption of the JUNCS foods.

A Review of the Nutritional Quality of School Canteen Foods in South Asia

In Schools, canteens play a crucial role in ensuring nutritional well-being of adolescents. Regular consumption of unhealthy food items purchased from the school canteens may add to the existing burden of malnutrition in children, especially adolescents. A narrative review was conducted to comprehensively summarize the nutritional quality of food products served in South Asian school canteens. Three electronic scientific databases were searched for articles and selected articles were analyzed. Literature review indicated the absence of school food policy/guidelines, unhygienic school canteens, high availability and accessibility of unhealthy foods in school canteens and lack of awareness regarding healthy school food environment among parents, teachers, students, and principals. Further, well-designed studies to assess the nutritional quality of foods served in school canteens using appropriate indices are required.

Prevalence of obesity among urban and rural school going adolescents of Vadodara, India: a comparative study

Background: Obesity is a major global problem among children. India has paradox of having both undernutrition and obesity as a major problem. This epidemic of obesity is also affecting rural population. It has both short and long term adverse health outcome.Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional, observational and questionnaire-based study conducted in urban and rural school going adolescents.Results: 188 subjects (89 rural and 99 urban school) school were enrolled. 17.6%(33), 20.2%(38), 59%(111) and 3.2%(6) children were obese, overweight, normal and underweight respectively. 65.22% of urban males &amp; 62.26% females were either obese or overweight as compared to 15.78% of rural males and 3.92% females (p&lt;0.0001). OR was 17.7 (95% CI of 7.6 to 40.7) in favor of urban residence. Statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) differences is found in term of annual income of family, frequency of physical training sessions conducted in schools, frequency of restaurant &amp; school canteen food. No statistically significant association was found between two categories (higher BMI &amp; normal BMI) with other factors viz. breakfast before school, liking for fast food, involvement in outdoor sports, operating gadgets during meals and having obese family members.Conclusions: Obesity and overweight is more prevalent in urban adolescent. There is no difference among male and female group. There is tendency of high frequency of obesity and overweight among those adolescents who have higher annual family income, frequency of restaurant and school canteen food and lesser frequency of physical training sessions conducted in schools.

Assessing the conformance of foods in school canteens in terms of health in Malatya a city of Turkey

A healthy diet for students is an important concept in terms of school health. In this regard, selling unhealthy foods in the school canteens causes a serious threat. With this study, we aimed to determine how well the “Turkey Healthy Nutrition and Active Life Program” with the number 201022 released by the Prime Minister’s Office was applied at schools, and to reveal how reliable school canteens were in this context. This is a descriptive study. The sample size was calculated as 37 by considering the ‘rate of chips sales in the school canteen as 2.65%’ with a power of 80% and a confidence level of 95%. Stratified sampling method was used to stratify the schools; after which 18 primary schools, 13 secondary schools and 6 high schools were selected. Statistic were expressed in numbers and percentages. It was observed that despite the prohibition, fruit-flavored beverages were sold in 51.4% of the schools included in the study, cokes were sold in 10.8% of the. Moreover, chips and french fries were present in the canteens in 18.9% and 8.1% of the included schools, respectively. Among the foods and drinks recommended in the circular, these school canteens had ayran (89.2%), milk (83.8%), yoghurt (18.9%), fresh fruits (8.1%) and fresh-squeezed fruit–vegetable juices (5.4%). Although the sales of healthy beverages in the school canteens were high, the sales of unhealthy beverages were also high. The sales of yoghurt, fresh fruit and fresh-squeezed fruit–vegetable juices were lower. Moreover, French fries and chips that should not be present in the canteens were also sold, which is thought-provoking.

Assessing the Conformance of Foods in School Canteens in Terms of Health in a City of Turkey

Assessing the Conformance of Foods in School Canteens in Terms of Health in a City of Turkey