In the Mangistau region, the first project in Kazakhstan to systematically include a national drink in schoolchildren's diets is being launched. Starting in September, children in 25 schools in Zhanaozen will be served shubat, a traditional camel milk drink, as a healthy alternative to fast food, reports infohub.kz.
The initiator of the project, Mangistau region governor Nurdaulet Kilybai, linked the launch of the new school meal program to recent instructions from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to protect minors from unhealthy food.
"Today, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the problem of aggressive fast food advertising and the need to pay special attention to protecting the health of the younger generation. Our initiative to include shubat in school meals is a concrete step in this direction. We must ensure that natural, high-quality local products are available to our children," said the regional head.
The President noted that the promotion of unhealthy food has a direct negative impact on the country's labor potential and places an increased burden on the healthcare system.
"According to medical observations, there are currently about 7,000 children with diabetes, and this number is not decreasing; it is even growing. Many states ban or restrict advertising of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt aimed at the younger generation," emphasized Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The project in the Mangistau region is being implemented at a new shubat bottling workshop, "Nar-Bota," which was officially opened on August 26. The production facility covers an area of 300 square meters, with a design capacity of 400 tons of finished products per year.
The technological chain includes all key stages: receiving raw camel milk, processing, bottling, and subsequent storage. The opening of the production facility creates a stable sales market for local farms specializing in camel breeding and ensures long-term demand for natural raw materials in the region.