DOHA: The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has fixed the prices of various food items that are permitted to be sold in school canteens. The prices vary from QR1 to QR3.
The SEC has also issued a list of items that are banned in school canteens, which include ice creams, meat, poultry, soft drinks, chewing gum, nuggets, energy drinks, chips and sports drinks.
Sweets made of sugar and with a high content of colours, food boiled in very high temperature, milk and yoghurt containing artificial flavours, some dishes containing fish and pure chocolate have also been banned.
Catering companies supplying food to school canteens will face stern action if they sell any of the banned items or hike the prices beyond the permitted levels.
The regulations are part of SEC’s strategic plan to ensure that healthy food is served to school students at reasonable prices.
A comprehensive guide issued by the SEC on school canteens contain clear instructions to schools in Qatar and the food suppliers regarding the quality and prices of food, administration of the canteens, health and hygienic requirements to be met by school canteens and penalties for violating the rules.
If a supplier is found to be selling banned food items, the academic head of the school must give a written complaint to the Permanent Canteen Committee at SEC. It should be signed by the head of the school and the school nurse. The SEC can cut 10 percent of the deposit money of the supplier as a penalty.
The same procedure should be followed if the food is not up to the standards agreed in the contract and SEC could initiate legal action against the supplier.
If the food is found to be poisoned, the school should immediately call 999 and inform the concerned departments in the Municipality for further action.
If the supplier delays the delivery of food on any particular day, the school has the right to buy food from outside, according to the specifications, and the supplier is bound to pay the price. If this violation is repeated more than twice in an academic year, action will be taken against the supplier, which can amount to cutting five percent of the deposit amount.
Subcontracting the catering job without informing the permanent canteen committee, failure to abide by the price list issued by the SEC or to display the prices in the canteens, errors in payment of balance amounts to the students are also among the punishable offences.
The suppliers will also face action if they fail to employ an adequate number of staff in the canteens or put workers who don’t hold valid health certificates. Failure to maintain cleanliness in the canteen is also considered as a serious offence.
© The Peninsula
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