The State Production and Consumer Service said that all interested persons can join the initiative to ensure quality and safe food for the youngest citizens.
Implementation of the school nutrition reform at the practical level is ensured by state bodies, regional administrations, communities, heads of education management bodies, teachers and public representatives. The school can organize food preparation both independently and with the help of other enterprises. However, the most important thing is that the cooking process complies with all applicable norms and standards.
How should educational institutions and business entities protect themselves and how to prepare for the new academic year during the war period at all levels in accordance with the current legislation, experts of the State Production and Consumer Service comment.
Educational institutions. Joint commission inspections of educational institutions began today, depending on the security situation in each separate administrative-territorial unit.
In accordance with the legislation, local authorities and military administrations with the participation of the founders of general secondary education institutions can independently initiate such inspections. According to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” and “On Local State Administrations”, they have the right to create commissions for the inspection of educational institutions in order to check their readiness to organize the educational process and ensure proper conditions for all its participants. As a rule, territorial bodies of the State Production and Consumer Service also join the said commissions.
As experts of the State Production and Consumer Service emphasize, this is done in order to help school institutions to protect themselves and to ensure compliance with sanitary legislation during the organization of the educational process, as well as to comply with the requirements of safe and nutritious food for schoolchildren. After all, despite the martial law and the limitation of system inspections in accordance with the resolution of the CMU dated March 13, 2022 No. 303, the safety and health of children should be one of the priority areas of work of any institution or community administration. Initiating and conducting such surveys is a manifestation of a responsible attitude towards the performance of one’s duties.
Business entities that provide services. In addition, food suppliers themselves and/or business entities providing catering services for general secondary education institutions have the opportunity to independently initiate an inspection of their activities. For this, in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy dated 03.01.2023 No. 5 “On approval of the List of grounds for the implementation of unplanned measures of state control over compliance with the legislation on food products, feed, by-products of animal origin, health and welfare of animals for the period of martial law”, it is enough for them to send a written application to the territorial body of the State Production and Consumer Service at their own request.
Such a step by business representatives has a double benefit. On the one hand, it is a demonstration of confidence in the quality of one’s own work and its compliance with all requirements and standards. On the other hand, the successful independent passing of the inspection contributes to the protection of business representatives from possible negative consequences that may arise when organizing meals for schoolchildren.
In addition, in order to raise awareness of work norms and standards, the territorial bodies of the State Production and Consumer Service carry out information and explanatory work on ensuring sanitary and hygienic requirements and the anti-epidemic regime. During these events, important aspects and requirements for the organization of food in educational institutions, as well as providing institutions with drinking water of guaranteed quality, raw materials and food products supplied by market operators, are highlighted.
“Each business entity, parents, teachers and other interested persons can join the initiative to ensure quality and safe food for the youngest citizens. For this, you need to contact the territorial body of the State Production and Consumer Service of your region. Only by joint efforts can we ensure healthy and safe education and the future of our children,” the department summarized.