School Canteens: For Health or Profit?

School Canteens: For Health or Profit, and Does the Ban on Certain Products Still Exist?

Is There a Ministerial Decree Banning the Sale of Certain Products in Schools?

Is there a decree from the Ministry of Education banning the sale of certain products in schools or not? If it exists, is it actually enforced on the ground or does it need follow-up? Are monitoring and inspection carried out on what is sold inside schools, or is the matter left to individual discretion?

In previous years, clear instructions were issued by the Ministry in the executive plan of the General Administration of the Productive School to ban the sale of carbonated water, mechanically packaged snacks, and certain products containing unauthorized additives. This confirms that the decree already existed, was written down, and was distributed to the directorates. Instructions were also issued to ban the sale of all types of french fries, energy drinks, and instant noodles inside schools to protect the safety of students. Indeed, the ban extended to specifically prohibiting energy drinks because they contain high percentages of caffeine and affect children’s hearts and nervous systems b0dba191. Here I ask: if the decree exists, does the school principal know its details? Does the canteen supervisor know what is permitted and what is prohibited? Is there genuine periodic inspection of schools regarding what is sold in the canteen, or is it a ceremonial visit? Are those who fall short held accountable, or are they merely given a warning? Are we protecting student health, or are we leaving their health to chance?

A Healthy Canteen Is a Responsibility Toward Student Health

I do not deny the Ministry’s effort when it issues instructions to protect the health of our children. This is a respectable and honorable role that deserves praise and widespread application, because a student’s health is the foundation of their learning. How can they learn while daily consuming potato chips full of fat, an energy drink that raises their heart rate, or instant noodles with no nutritional value? Doesn’t a student have the right to find food inside their school that builds their body rather than harming it? It is worth mentioning that this food should be healthy and affordable for most students in that same school.

The healthy canteen is a global model that obliges schools to sell fruit, water, natural juice, and healthy sandwiches, while banning processed foods high in salt, sugar, and caffeine. The healthy canteen is not a profit venture; it is an educational project, and education starts from the stomach before the blackboard. Do we want a canteen that builds or one that profits?

The Impact of Canteen Sales on Children’s Health

Have we considered how many children suffer from hyperactivity, obesity, or tooth decay because of what is sold to them during recess? Have we asked ourselves why we ban these items at home yet permit them at school? Do we want a strong generation or a sick generation? Is monitoring a burden or a duty? Is inspection a punishment or protection? Is a ban deprivation or safety? The comparison is simple: a product that harms versus one that benefits, behavior that destroys versus behavior that builds, and a decree that bans versus a decree that permits. Where do we place our children—between harm and benefit, destruction and building, prohibition and safety?

An Approved List and Surprise Inspections for the Canteen

What if we provided an approved canteen list posted on the door of every cafeteria, stamped by the educational administration, featuring only ten permitted items with pictures and prices? What if canteen supervisor training were provided, and nutrition supervisors made surprise visits to the school to ensure compliance, accompanied by the publication of a simple report for parents? When parents know that what is sold to their child is approved and monitored, they will feel reassured. When students know that the school is protecting them, they will love and respect it. Is there anything simpler than a clear, specific, and actionable list?

Monitoring Ensures the Enforcement of Student Protection Decrees

The existence of the decree is a purposeful step, and committing to it is a greater and more momentous step. Monitoring it is the safety valve and the guarantee that ensures the decree does not remain ink on paper. Shall we begin monitoring today so that we do not have to treat illness tomorrow?

Written by Roudy Nabil

Published by Hany Sallam

Hany Sallam, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Scientific Magazine Ahram
An independent Arabic science magazine operating since 2008, dedicated to simplifying science, technology, space, natural phenomena and scientific stories for Arabic readers. The magazine includes sections such as “Zodiac Group” and “Stories and Tales”, alongside science topics that combine knowledge with a spirit of discovery. It operates independently and is not affiliated with Al-Ahram Press Foundation or any governmental body.