Ahead of the new school year, Kazakh schools are preparing to implement updated requirements for student nutrition. The readiness of educational institutions and compliance with the new standard were discussed by Chief State Sanitary Doctor Sarkhat Beisenova at a briefing at the Central Communications Service, reports infohub.kz.
According to Beisenova, special attention is currently paid to the quality and safety of school meals. Starting September 1, 2025, a new nutrition standard will come into effect in educational organizations, which provides for a significant reduction in sugar (by 3.6 times) and salt (by 5 times) in dishes. The share of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products will also increase, and sausages, smoked products, spreads, and other foods high in sugar and salt will be completely excluded from the menu. Sugary drinks and juices will be replaced with water, milk, and fermented milk drinks.
The main goal of these changes is to promote a healthier diet for children and reduce risk factors for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
Earlier it was reported that in June of this year, sanitary doctors conducted a large-scale inspection in domestic schools and found various violations of sanitary and epidemiological requirements. Most of them — 2,087 — were found in school canteens. In particular, unsatisfactory sanitary and technical condition of canteens, as well as poor equipment of canteens with technological and refrigeration equipment, were revealed. The highest number of such violations was recorded in Turkistan region (259), Karaganda region (163), Almaty (123), and Kyzylorda region (115).