"Until now, not all schools in regions have implemented the healthy canteen. This must be reactivated to ensure food safety for children," Khumaidi remarked here on Monday.
The IDI chairman highlighted that the healthy canteen is one of the steps to create a healthy environment by supervising the food consumed by school students, in addition to providing clean water and handwashing facilities.
"If we talk about healthy canteens, we must also talk about the supervision carried out within the school environment, and food consumed by school children," he remarked.
He explained that canteens or food stalls in the school environment must be supervised periodically by collaborating with the local health office and surveillance officers.
Moreover, food safety supervision should include laboratory examinations in collaboration with Indonesia's National Foods and Drugs Authority (BPOM).
"We must supervise (canteens) regularly, not just when an incident happens," he emphasized.
He underscored the need to carry out preventive and educational measures from the beginning and not only when cases that impact children, such as food poisoning, occur.
According to Khumaidi, the activation of healthy canteens with strict supervision is also a form of educating food business owners in schools about proper cooking procedures that are in accordance with health standards.
"This is a form of investment in the health sector as well, for example, in the (healthy canteen) implementation, it can have an extraordinary impact on school children's health, and they will become a healthy generation," Khumaidi stated.
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Translator: Ruth K, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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