Practical-Guidelines-Healthy-School-Canteen-Development

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Practical Guidelines

Healthy
School Canteen
Development

Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization


Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition
SEAMEO RECFON
2022

MILK
Practical Guidelines
Healthy School Canteen Development
pages: viii-106

Authors:
Dr. Judhiastuty Februhartanty, M.Sc
Dr. Dwi Nastiti Iswarawanti
Evi Ermayani, M.Gizi
Eflita Meiyetriani, MKM
Indriya Laras Pramesthi, M.Gizi
Ratna Dian Astuti, S.Gz

ISBN: 978-623-7759-66-9 (PDF)

Cover and layout designer:


Joko Setiyono

Publisher:
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Regional Center for Food and
Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON)

Editorial:
Jalan Raya Utan Kayu No. 1A RT 001, RW 008,
Kel. Utan Kayu Utara, Kec. Matraman. Jakarta Timur 13120
Phone +6221-22116225 - Fax. +6221-22116465 - PO. Box 3852
Website: www.seameo-recfon.org - email: information@seameo-recfon.org

English Translated Edition, 2022


All rights reserved. No part of this book may be quoted and reproduced, in part or in
whole in any form, such as print, photocopy, microfilm, and sound recording without
written permission of the copyright holder.
Foreword

A School Canteen is one of the essential facilities that an educational unit should
have. As students usually spend most of their time at school, the availability of healthy
and safe foods for their consumption at school is crucial. A functional school canteen
that provides healthy and nutritious foods as well as maintains good hygiene and
sanitation can support educational activities and academic performance of students.
However, many school canteens are still struggling to comply with the required health
standards because the school community members lack awareness and commitment.
In addition, the teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills in conveying nutrition and health
messages to school children hinders the achievement of the objectives of a healthy
canteen.

The development of a healthy school canteen involves the active participation of multiple
parties which often poses a big challenge to the school. It is because of this challenge
as well as our Centre’s profound interest to contribute in addressing food safety issues
in schools that led to the publication of this practical guidebook on healthy school
canteen development and management. This guidebook is meant to be a reference for
schools to establish and/or improve their existing school canteens to better cater to
the health and nutrition needs of their school community. This guidebook also features
good practices by some schools amidst their existing limitations to inspire other schools
to also develop and maintain their own healthy canteens.

This book also introduces the four main components Pillars of Healthy School Canteen
development called as Four Pillars , developed by SEAMEO RECFON team. The pillars
are consisted of 29 indicators which are considered about the issues on 1) Commitment
and management of the school; 2) Human resource; 3) Hygienic facilities and 4) Good

Foreword i
quality of foods provided for school communities. A simple observation form is also
shared in order to facilitate the school in assessing the canteen achievement.

We earnestly hope that through this guidebook, there will be a proliferation of healthy
school canteens towards creating healthier school environments for students and
teachers in Southeast Asia.

Director of SEAMEO RECFON,

Prof. dr. Muchtaruddin Mansyur, Ph.D

ii SEAMEO RECFON
Purpose and Organization of
the Book

This book is expected to provide insights into the development of a Healthy School
Canteen as set forth by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of
Indonesia, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, and other relevant
agencies. The guidelines set out in this book refer to the technical guidelines developed
by the authorized agency in Indonesia. In accordance with the expertise of SEAMEO
RECFON, this book also displays practical information related to food and nutrition,
which may serve as a reference where necessary.

The main content of this book is the experiences shared by practitioners and coaches
comprising the principals, the teachers, and the foundation directly involved in the
development and guidance of their respective school canteens. As they come from
schools with different conditions and challenges, readers are expected to learn differing
lessons from the continuous efforts in achieving the Healthy School Canteen despite
the various obstacles faced by each school.

Although at the moment their effort to gain the certification for a Healthy School
Canteen is still in progress, their experience explained in “Chapter V: Good Practices
towards a Healthy School Canteen” may presumably be learned by other schools,
which have similar conditions and challenges in order to motivate them in initiating
improvement towards a Healthy School Canteen.

The Healthy School Canteen is a vast and complex achievement and may require
cooperation in its implementation. Therefore, the schools under the leadership of the
Principal may take significant points in this book to gather resources, to plan the efforts
towards a Healthy School Canteen, and to start them with the easiest activity or step.
The achievement of a Healthy School Canteen is the outcome of cooperation among
various parties, which can eventually increase the school's prestige and benefit the
school.

Purpose and Organization of the Book iii


This book may serve as a reference for:

1. The principals, the School Health Program implementation teams, the


teachers, the school superintendents, the canteen administrators
2. Other communities (parents)
3. Education and health observers, and stakeholders in relation to the
school canteens.

iv SEAMEO RECFON
The Module Team

Authors

● Dr. Judhiastuty Februhartanty, M.Sc - SEAMEO RECFON


● Dr. Dwi Nastiti Iswarawanti, M.Sc - SEAMEO RECFON
● Evi Ermayani, M.Gizi - SEAMEO RECFON
● Eflita Meiyetriani, MKM - SEAMEO RECFON
● Indriya Laras P, M.Gizi - SEAMEO RECFON
● Ratna Dian Astuti, S.Gz - SEAMEO RECFON

Contributors

● Beti Nurbaeti – SD Negeri Cisalak 3, Depok


● Siti Nuraliffah – SD Negeri Kramat 06, Jakarta
● Rudi Indarto, M.Pd – SMP Negeri 275 Jakarta
● Eko Budhi Kurniawati, S.Pd - SMA Negeri 1 Singosari, Malang
● Wiwik Widati, S.Pd - SMA Negeri 1 Singosari, Malang
● Feri Firmansyah - SMK Wikrama, Bogor
● Aom Subardiman - SMK Geo Informatika, Bogor
● Bambang Karyadi - SMK Geo Informatika, Bogor
● Emmy Septinesia - Yayasan BPK Penabur, Jakarta
● Hesti Riana Anggraini, SKM - Yayasan BPK Penabur, Jakarta
● dr.Sih Mahayanti - Puskesmas Kecamatan Sukmajaya, Depok
● Ahmad Awaluddin - Puskesmas Kecamatan Senen, Jakarta

External Reviewers

● dr. Yesi Crosita O, MIH


● Hustina Purnawati Rachman, S.Gz, M.Gizi

Photo & Ilustrasion Credit


The photographs used herein are the collection of SEAMEO RECFON,
The illustrations used herein were downloaded from the Internet, sourced from various public domains.
in the public domain.

The Module Team v


Table of Content
Foreword ................................................................................................................ i
Purpose and Organization of the Book ........................................................... iii
The Module Team ................................................................................................. v
Table of content .................................................................................................... vi

Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................. 1

A. Conditions and Current Issues Pertaining to the School Canteen........................... 1


B. The Role of the School Canteen in Meeting the Standards
of Health and Nutrition of Students ............................................................................... 3

Chapter 2 Healthy School Canteen ............................................................. 5

A. Definition of a Healthy School Canteen ......................................................................... 5


B. Four Pillars of a Healthy School Canteen ....................................................................... 6

Chapter 3 Balanced Nutrition ...................................................................... 19

A. Food Sources and Nutrients ............................................................................................... 19


B. Ten Principles of Balanced Nutrition................................................................................ 20
C. Food Pyramid and “My Plate”............................................................................................. 25
D. Nutritional Requirements by Age and Sex .................................................................... 28
E. The Need of Nutritious Foods from the School Canteen .......................................... 28

Chapter 4 Strengthening Partnerships ...................................................... 31

A. The Role of Partners in Healthy School Canteen Development............................... 31


B. The Role of Partners in Healthy School Canteen Development .............................. 36
C. Healthy School Canteen in Partnership with the Community ................................. 39

Chapter 5 Towards a Healthy School Canteen:


A Collection of Best Practices .................................................... 42

A. School Policy ........................................................................................................................... 42

GP 1. The Strong Commitment of the Principal towards


a Healthy Canteen at a State Elementary School ........................ 42
GP 2. The Development of a Semi-Permanent Canteen....................... 45

vi SEAMEO RECFON
B. School Policy ........................................................................................................................... 51

GP 3. School Cooperative as the School Canteen Administrative


Agency ..................................................................................................... 51
GP 4. Publication of the Guidelines for Healthy Canteen
Management as an Effort to Synchronize the Perceptions
about and Commitment on the Healthy School Canteen ........ 55
GP 5. Involvement of Students in the Operation of a Healthy
School Canteen ..................................................................................... 58

C. Nutrition Education for Students and the School Community ................................ 62

GP 6. Nutrition Education for the School Community with No


School Canteen ..................................................................................... 62
GP 7. Highlighting the Need for Safe, Healthy, and Nutritious
Food from the School Canteen for School community ............. 67

D. Canteen Supervision and Guidance System .................................................................. 71

GP 8. School Canteen Working Group to Supervise and Protect


Consumers .............................................................................................. 71
GP 9. Hygiene and Sanitation Training from the Academics
for School Canteen Food Vendors ................................................... 75
GP 10. The Role of the Public Health Center in Providing
Guidance on Food Safety and School Healthy Canteen ............ 79

E. Partnerships ............................................................................................................................ 82

GP 11. Increasing the Awareness of Food Vendors through


Collaboration with the Academics and the Health
Department............................................................................................. 82

References .............................................................................................................. 87
Appendix ................................................................................................................ 89
Appendix 1. .................................................................................................................... 90
Appendix 2. .................................................................................................................... 92
Appendix 3. .................................................................................................................... 94
Appendix 4. .................................................................................................................... 97
Appendix 5. .................................................................................................................... 100
Appendix 6. .................................................................................................................... 104

Table of Content vii


viii SEAMEO RECFON
Chapter 1

Introduction

Topic

Conditions and Current Issues Pertaining to the School Canteen

The Role of the School Canteen in Meeting the Standards of Health and Nutrition of
Students

A Conditions and Current Issues Pertaining to the


School Canteen

The school canteen is one of the essential facilities at school in support of the teaching-
learning processes. However, a large number of schools in Indonesia has no canteen,
while canteens at several other schools lack the necessary quality.

Schools which do not have a canteen are usually hampered by the lack of space, funds,
or human resources for managing the school canteen. Due to the limited space and
funds, numerous schools turn a semi-permanent structure into a school canteen.

Introduction 1
Meanwhile, schools with low-quality canteens generally deal with typical constraints,
such as a poor management of the canteen, insufficient trainings for canteen
administrators, vendors, and handlers, and poor partnerships with relevant agencies,
for instance, the local Education Department Office, Health Department, and Public
Health Center. Moreover, acceptable levels of hygiene and sanitation facilities are
generally not appropriately maintained at those schools.

Schools with proper canteen facilities are no exception to difficulties in maintaining an


optimal condition of their canteen. The quality of foods sold at their canteen needs to
be regularly monitored in order to ensure that the foods contain no hazardous additive
and are full of nutrients.

Unfortunately, on the part of the schools, obtaining a certification of a healthy school


canteen is not easy as they have to follow a certain mechanism involving several
agencies and sectors.

Another issue concerns street vendors outside schools who have generally long
established their presence and attracted many students as consumers. School
authorities are most likely aware that many street vendors are selling food of below-par
safety and nutrition standards and that students' health may be at risk. Nevertheless,
school authorities tend to feel helpless in facing this issue as they may see that it is not
their authorities to educate the street vendors.

Regardless of the above challenges, various agencies have actually facilitated schools
in developing a healthy school canteen by issuing various guidelines (Appendix 1),
assisting schools in operating healthy school canteens, and
stimulating the schools’ motivation through contests
in which the existence of a healthy school canteen
is one of the assessment indicators. However,
these efforts need to be complemented with
effective guidance and encouragement,
especially for schools which are about to
initiate the development of a healthy school
canteen. More importantly, every effort
should not go beyond the capability of each
school.

2 SEAMEO RECFON
B The Role of the School Canteen in Meeting
the Standards of Health and Nutrition of Students

To achieve their optimal growth and development, students need to consume safe,
healthy, and nutritious food. Therefore, schools play an important role of providing
quality food and beverages for their respective students. Students commonly spend
4-8 hours at school. Given this length of time spent and the intensive activities they do
at school, it is imperative that students pay attention to the quality of the food they
consume. The energy and nutrient requirements for students while at school can be
fulfilled by the foods sold at the school canteen or by street vendors around the school.
To this end, space for a canteen must be provided at each school, as stipulated in the
Indonesia Government Regulation No. 19 of 2005 on National Education Standards,
which was later revised by the Government Regulation No. 32 of 2013 Article 42
Paragraph 2.

Furthermore, as a provider of various food and beverages needed by students and the
school community, the school canteen should also serve as a place to:

1. Learn about safe and nutritious food


2. Educate students on entrepreneurship and creativity
3. Reach hygiene and sanitation standards in preparing, processing, and
serving food
4. Develop healthier eating habits

Unhealthy and unsafe food and beverages can increase morbidity rates in students
and decrease students' nutritional status. In fact, a high rate of morbidity in students
may dampen their academic performance and eventually ruin the school’s reputation.

Introduction 3
4 SEAMEO RECFON
Chapter 2

Healthy School Canteen

Topic

Definition of a Healthy School Canteen

Four Pillars of a Healthy School Canteen

A Definition of a Healthy School Canteen


The school canteen is a space for providing and/or selling food located in the school
area, which is managed by the school communiies and usually opened during school
days.

A healthy school canteen is a unit activity at school which functions to improve health
by providing healthy (i.e. nutritious, hygienic, and safe) food or snacks for students and
the overall school community.

To develop a healthy school canteen, the following essentials facilities are required:

● A CANTEEN SPACE or an area that is spacious enough to sell food and


beverages

● CLEAN WATER FACILITIES which are proper to support hygiene and


sanitation activities at the canteen

Healthy School Canteen 5


B Four Pillars of a Healthy School Canteen

1. The First Pillar: Commitment and Management

2. The Second Pillar: Human Resources

3. The Third Pillar: Facilities

4. The Fourth Pillar: Food Quality

6 SEAMEO RECFON
1. The First Pillar: Commitment and Management

Commitment and strong leadership to the implementation of a healthy school canteen


is crucial for the canteen management to achieve the goal of the healthy school
canteen. The school needs to show commitment to providing healthy food for the
school community. The results of the SEAMEO RECFON’s comparative study in various
cities in Indonesia indicate that schools with a written commitment statement signed
by the Principal or the school committee have established and consistently maintained
a proper and healthy school canteen.

Having a supervisory team monitoring the quality of snacks, including those sold at the
school canteen, can help to ensure the availability of safe food. An official assignment
letter from the Principal may be needed by the team members to strengthen their
roles and responsibilities.

Furthermore, to assure a continuous provision of healthy food at school, written rules


or policies about the management of a healthy canteen, including the quality and types
of food and beverages sold at the canteen, as well as an effective supervision of the
implementation, are essential.

2. The Second Pillar: Human Resources

School canteen vendors are people responsible for preparing, processing, and serving
food and beverages to the consumers. Unwittingly, they can be human hosts of
microorganisms. Naturally, the surface of all parts of the human body, particularly the
hands, may transmit microorganisms, for example, the Staphylococcus aureus, which
is a toxin-producing bacteria. Food handlers may also become carriers of typhoid fever
(Salmonella typhi) although sometimes the symptoms of the illness are not present.
Therefore, it is vital for food handlers to practice personal hygiene in order to steer
clear of any hazardous microorganisms.

Food handlers should wear clean clothes and maintain their personal hygiene. Washing
hands using soap should be performed after any activities in the toilet.

Healthy School Canteen 7


They must also put on a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), particularly an apron and
a head cover, to prevent microorganisms from contaminating the food and beverages
being served. Gloves should be worn when cooking and preparing food (e.g. decorating
sushi or a tart). If necessary, to avoid contamination from a handler's mouth, a face
mask can be used when processing and serving food.

When handling food, the handler must be in good physical shape (i.e. not suffering
from diarrhea, cough, or cold), must not have any undressed wound, and must not
wear excessive jewelry. The handler must regularly practice personal hygiene (e.g.
having trimmed and clean nails, not smoking, not spitting, and using clean footwear),
to prevent food contamination.

Food vendors and handlers who have been trained about food hygiene, sanitation, and
safety shall have knowledge and awareness in maintaining personal health, hygiene,
and the quality of safe and healthy food and beverages. Therefore, regular training for
handlers needs to be conducted in order to foster their awareness.

3. The Third Pillar: Facilities

Canteen building or space

● The environmental conditions around the canteen are vital because


microorganisms may grow and survive around the canteen building, that
may further contaminate the food. The canteen space may be built inside or
outside the schoolyard. The canteen building or space should be constructed
out of permanent materials to allow easy cleaning.
● Tools and equipment in the canteen space should be arranged according to
their functions and routinely cleaned to avoid any contamination. Tools and
equipment which are not used for processing food and beverages should not
be stored in the canteen space. It is not advisable to stockpile cardboards
because they may attract pests and insects.
● The canteen floor should be made of waterproof materials and have an even
surface so that the floor is easy to clean. The floor should always be kept dry
and clean.

8 SEAMEO RECFON
● The building walls should be made of waterproof materials and have an even
surface to avoid dust from piling up quickly and to make it easy to clean.
● If cooking activities are performed inside the canteen space, ventilation
should be provided to allow for air circulation so that vapor, gas, smoke, odor,
and dust in the room may easily escape. Insect screens can also be set up to
prevent flies, insects, or other animals from entering the windows (if any).

Sanitation facilities

● Water conditions need to be paid attention too, as microorganisms may


survive in the water. In regard to the management of food and beverages at
the canteen, it is important to make sure that the supply of water available is
sufficient in amount and complies with the set health standards. Maintaining
water sanitation can be performed by checking the physical properties of
the water against the health standards (i.e. whether the water is colorless,
odorless, and tasteless). The water included in the ingredients of a beverage
(e.g. ice cubes) must be free from microorganisms (i.e. boiled or processed)
and chemicals that may endanger health.

● To prevent wastewater from being a source of contamination, the


wastewater disposal system should be appropriately managed, for instance,
by using a waterproof drainage system, ensuring that the wastewater flows
smoothly, and protecting the wastewater drainage. To avoid wastewater from
contaminating the water source, the minimum distance between the septic
tank and the groundwater source should be set at 20 meters.

● Garbage bins, which may become a source of contamination, should always


be cleaned, closed, and removed regularly.

● Food handlers would need a toilet for defecating and/or urinating. Handlers
need to wash hands after defecating or urinating as feces and hands can
transmit Escherichia coli bacteria and other microorganisms. Therefore, it is
necessary to equip clean toilets with a sufficient amount of soap and clean
water.

Healthy School Canteen 9


● Hands of the consumers may also pass on the pathogens. Therefore,
washbasins, along with a sufficient amount of soap and running water, should
be made available for the canteen's consumers.

● Cooking and eating utensils must be cleaned regularly. Therefore, it is


necessary to provide washing basins, as well as an adequate amount of soap
and clean water, for utensils.

● To maintain the cleanliness of the canteen space, it is necessary to provide


cleaning tools which are not only functioning well but also clean. Moreover,
cleaning tools must be stored properly (e.g. in the cabinet or by using a broom
holder) to avoid any contamination. The canteen and kitchen must be cleaned
daily, and all cleaning tools must be disinfected regularly.

Pest and insect control

● Pests and insects are potential sources of microorganism transmission.


Therefore, such animals (e.g. flies, cockroaches, rats, and cats) must be gotten
rid of the school canteen area. Preventive measures can also be taken, for
example, by covering the tray containing ready-to-serve food and installing fly
traps and mouse traps.

Kitchen, dining room, equipment, and storage

● To avoid cross-contamination during food and beverage production, the


kitchen space must always be cleaned regularly. The space of the kitchen
must be large enough to accommodate the cooking and preparation of food
to be made. The air circulation must be maintained properly so that smoke
or vapor can easily escape from the kitchen; if necessary, a smoke ventilation
can be provided.

● The dining area for consumers must always be kept clean; the size also needs
to be adjusted to the number of consumers.

● Cooking and eating utensils must be washed, dried, and stored in a clean state
before use. To avoid contamination, clean equipment can be stored in a sealed

10 SEAMEO RECFON
storage shelf and should not be kept together with dangerous chemicals (e.g.
insecticides, household disinfectants, or room fragrance).
● The food storage facilities must function well. Moreover, raw food ingredients
(e.g. meat, fish, and egg) should not be stored together with cooked or
ready-to-eat food ingredients. The proper cold storage temperature in the
refrigerator is 5-10°C, and the proper frozen storage temperature in the freezer
is -10°C. To maintain an optimum temperature, food ingredients stored in the
refrigerator shall not be in an excess quantity. The food container cover must
not be opened too often. If necessary, labels with information about the date
of storage can be put on the containers.
● Cooking and eating utensils and also food containers should be kept in a
clean state. It is preferable to use utensils and containers made of food-grade
materials (e.g. aluminum foil and mica), rather than rusty and non food-grade
materials (e.g. Styrofoam or used newspaper)
● Always use a clean rag, and the rag should be cleaned daily. To avoid cross-
contamination, the rag for cleaning utensils and for cleaning canteen space
must be separated.
● Ready-to-eat food needs to be stored and served in a safe manner i.e. in a
sealed (transparent) cupboard or container. Ready-to-eat food stored at room
temperature for more than 4 hours should be reheated before consumption

4. The Fourth Pillar: Food Quality

The food provided and/or sold at the canteen should be healthy, safe from any
biological, bacterial, chemical, or physical hazards, and full of nutrients needed by
students.

Preventing food from being contaminated by biological hazards


(microorganisms) can be done by:

● Implementing correctly the principles of the Second Pillar (Human Resources)


and the Third Pillar (Facilities) of the Requirements for a Healthy Canteen.

Healthy School Canteen 11


● Implementing the principles of GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out), in which food
quality should be maintained since the beginning, for instance, by choosing
raw ingredients which are fresh, clean, and of high quality (i.e. not expired, not
rotten, not being taken out of a bulging can, not moldy, not slimy or emitting
a foul odor) and by washing fruit and vegetables in clean and running water
before being eaten raw.

Ensuring that food is safe from chemical hazards can be achieved by:

● Not using food ingredients that may contain illegal hazardous chemical
substances (e.g. formalin, borax, rhodamine B, and metanil yellow).

According to the research and survey conducted by SEAMEO


RECFON, Indonesia Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) and
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, snacks sold/
provided at schools are often reported containing:

● borax (e.g. in meatballs)


● formalin (e.g. in bulk yellow noodle, dried squid, dried fish,
● rhodamine B (e.g. in bright-colored syrup, bright-colored
crackers, and bulk spicy sauce)
● metanil yellow (e.g. in bright-colored syrup)

● Not using food additives in an amount exceeding the dosage permitted by


the government (in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Health
of the Republic of Indonesia No. 1168/Menkes/Per/X/1999). Appendix 2 lays
down simple procedures for testing the presence of hazardous chemicals in
food.

● Not frequently using used cooking oil (dark-colored) as this type of oil
may contain the carcinogenic substance called PAH (polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon).

● Using safe cooking and eating utensils (e.g. the ones made of stainless steel
or glass). Unsafe containers are usually made of plastic with logo 3 (polyvinyl
chloride/PVC) or 7 (Styrene AcryloNitrile/SAN, Acrolynitrile Butadiene Styrene/
ABS, or polycarbonate/PC), for instance, thin plastic bags and styrofoam. It

12 SEAMEO RECFON
is important to note that when plastic material is in contact with hot food, it
will produce the chemicals of styrene and benzene, which potentially cause
cancer. Used paper with traces of ink on it is also unsafe as it may contain
lead, which can endanger health when unintentionally consumed for a long
period of time.

Ensuring that food is free from physical hazards can be done by supervising the
preparation, processing, and serving of food and making sure that these are carried
out in line with hygienic practices so that any hazards (e.g. staples, glass shards, nail
cuts, bone shards, wood chips, and pebbles) can be avoided. Even a strand of hair
found in food or beverages indicates unhygienic practices, which can increase the risk
of microorganism contamination.

For Indonesian readers, for more detailed information about how to choose safe food,
please refer to the book “Gizi dan Kesehatan Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar” published in 2016
(the link to download can be found in Appendix 1).

All of the above principles should be applied at schools, and their implementation must
be monitored from time to time.

Specifically, the principles of all Four Pillars shall be explained to be more detailed
practices; these will be helpful for the Healthy Canteen Supervisory Team to evaluate the
accomplishment of the indicators for a Healthy School Canteen. For the same purpose,
some government agencies in Indonesia, such as the National Agency for Drug and
Food Control, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education and Culture, have
issued some guidelines which set forth the indicators for a Healthy School Canteen
(Appendix 1).

With its experience, research, and discussions with various schools in the “Nutrition
Goes to School” (NGTS) program, SEAMEO RECFON conducted a study and finally issued
NGTS-SEAMEO RECFON indicators for a Healthy School Canteen which consist of 29
indicators inspired by the four pillars. These indicators are simpler but more complete.
When applied correctly, the indicators can be effective for achieving the desired quality
of a Healthy School Canteen.

The following is an observation sheet of NGTS-SEAMEO


RECFON indicators for a Healthy School Canteen to be used for
an internal supervision by the school.

Healthy School Canteen 13


Observation Sheet of a Healthy Canteen
SEAMEO RECFON – Nutrition Goes to School

Put a checklist (√) on the column YES if the specified item is IMPLEMENTED or AVAILABLE,
a checklist (√) on the column NO if the item is NOT IMPLEMENTED or AVAILABLE at school,
or a checklist (√) on the column IRRELEVANT if the item is irrelevant/unsuitable for the given
conditions at the school.

WHENEVER NECESSARY, the Description column may be used to put down additional information
about the canteen conditions during the observation.

School Name : ________________________________________________________

School Address : ________________________________________________________

Observer : ________________________________________________________

Observation date : ________________________________________________________

Observation/Assessment
No Indicator Description
Yes No Irrelevant

First Pillar: Commitment and Management

A written commitment from the school


1 management which ensures that food
supply at school is safe

A Healthy Canteen team is established


2 to monitor the safety of foods and
beverages for students

Second Pillar: Human Resources

Food handlers put on Personal Protective


3 Equipment (PPE), such as an apron and a
head cover

14 SEAMEO RECFON
Observation/Assessment
No Indicator Description
Yes No Irrelevant

Food handlers maintain a high degree of


personal cleanliness (e.g. their clothes
and hands) and health conditions (e.g.
4 not suffering from diarrhea, influenza,
or cough), do not have any undressed
wounds, and do not wear too much
jewelry

Food handlers have received trainings


5 on food safety, personal hygiene, and
sanitation

Third Pillar: Facilities

The canteen building stands on a


6
permanent structure

The canteen layout matches its function


7
to prevent contamination

The floor of the canteen should be non-


8
absorbent, flat, clean, and dry

The surface of the walls is smooth, non-


9
absorbent, and easy to clean

Good ventilation is available to ensure


10 air circulation for removing steam, gas,
odor, and dust from the canteen space

Room lighting is sufficient to process


11 food and sanitize the canteen space
effectively

Clean water is available in a sufficient


12
quantity

Healthy School Canteen 15


Observation/Assessment
No Indicator Description
Yes No Irrelevant

Wastewater flows smoothly; the sewage


system shall be a close system and
13
work well; the drainage shall be made of
waterproof materials

Toilets are available with sufficient clean


14
water and soap

Trash bins with closed covers are


15
available; the waste is disposed regularly

Hand washing stations are provided with


16
sufficient clean running water and soap

Wash basins for cleaning the equipment


17 are available, along with soap and clean
running water

Cleaning kits (e.g. broom, mop, brush)


18
are available and properly stored

Preparation and serving areas are


protected from animals (e.g. flies,
19
cockroach, rats, cats) that can
contaminate food

Efforts to keep food away from pests


and insects are put in (e.g. using food
20
covers, a cupboard, as well as insect, fly,
mouse traps)

The kitchen area is clean, has sufficient


21
space, and has a smoke ventilation

16 SEAMEO RECFON
Observation/Assessment
No Indicator Description
Yes No Irrelevant

The dining area is clean and has


22
sufficient space

Cooking and eating utensils must be


23 washed, dried, and stored in a clean
state before use

Food containers and/or packaging are


24 made of safe materials (not styrofoam or
non food-grade plastic bags)

The food storage facilities (i.e.


25
refrigerator, freezer) function properly

Tongs and/or gloves are used in order to


26
avoid contamination

Cooked foods should be displayed


27
safely ( e.g. with cover)

Fourth Pillar: Food Quality

Food does not contain any hazardous


28 chemical substances (e.g. formalin,
borax, textile dyes)

Foods served are nutrient-rich (i.e.


29 containing essential vitamins, minerals,
protein, and fibre)

Adapted from: The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2011; The Ministry of Education and
Culture, 2011; The National Agency for Drug and Food Control 2012.

Healthy School Canteen 17


18 SEAMEO RECFON
Chapter 3

Balanced Nutrition

Topic
Food Sources and Nutrients

Ten Principles of Balanced Nutrition

Food Pyramid and My Plate

Nutritional Requirements by Age and Sex

The Need of Nutritious Foods from the School Canteen

A Food Sources and Nutrients


The word “nutrition” is derived from the
Arabic word “ghidzay”, which means “food”.
In the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian
Language, “gizi” (or “nutrition” in English) is
defined as staple food needed for growth
and health. However, “Nutrition Science” has
a broader definition, covering not only food but
also nutritional status, programs, and the relevant
matters in relation to nutritional problems.

There are five types of major nutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins,
and minerals. Nutrients perform three main functions to our body: 1) being our energy
sources; 2) regulating the process of bodily metabolism; and, 3) spurring growth and
maintaining healthy tissues.

Balanced Nutrition 19
To meet our daily nutritional needs, we need to consume a variety of foods. This is
because each type of food source contains different nutritional contents. There is no
single food which completely contains all nutrients, except for breast milk for infants
aged 0-6 months. The more varied the foods we consume, the more diverse the
nutrients absorbed in the body will be.

Nutritional requirements can be fulfilled by consuming varied foods on a daily basis


according to our age and sex, and when done properly, this can help stimulate optimum
physical growth, development, and intelligence. For Indonesian readers who needs
more detailed information about nutrients, types of nutritious food, and their benefits,
please refer to the book “Gizi dan Kesehatan Untuk Remaja” published in 2016 (the link
to download it can be found in Appendix 1).

B Ten Principles of Balanced Nutrition


The fulfillment of nutritional requirements entails the concept of “Balanced Nutrition”.
In the 1950s, the Government of Indonesia introduced the slogan “4 Sehat 5 Sempurna”
(or “Four Basic Five Excellent” in English),. As science and public health problems
progressed over time, in 1995, the Government introduced a new concept called
Balanced Nutrition, which was then revised in 2014 into the “Guidelines for Balanced
Nutrition”.

The latest guidelines encompass 10 Principles of Balanced Nutrition:

2014 Be grateful for and enjoy


Guidelines the variety of foods Have a regular
breakfast
for Balanced 1 available 6
Nutrition
Eat more vegetables and Drink enough and safe
enough fruits water
*The 2014 Guidelines 2 7
for Balanced Nutrition
is the latest official
dietary guidelines from
Consume a wide variety Read food labels
of staple foods regularly
the Ministry of Health
3 8
in replacement of the
General Guidelines for
Balanced Nutrition Consume high protein Wash hands with soap in
source foods clean running water
4 9
and/or “Four Basic Five
Excellent”

Limit the consumption of Perform adequate


sweet, savory, and fatty physical activities and
5 foods maintain a healthy weight 10

20 SEAMEO RECFON
In the Guidelines, these four main pillars are set forth to support the fulfillment
of balanced nutrition:

1. Consuming variety of food

Nutritional contents vary across different types


of food; therefore, consuming various kinds of
food is vital in meeting the nutritional adequacy.
In addition, there are interactions between
nutrients that may help optimize nutrient
digestion and absorption in the body.

Aside from the aforementioned nutrients, fibers


are essential to aid a healthy digestive system, so
it is important to consume fruits and vegetables.
For example, while rice contains a lot of calories, it lacks
vitamins and minerals. In contrast, fruit and vegetables are generally rich in
vitamins, minerals, and fibers but contain a low level of calories and proteins.
Meanwhile, fish contains a high level of protein but has few calories. Consuming
a combination of different foods would enrich our daily intake of nutrients.

Balanced Nutrition 21
Similarly crucial is the consumption of mineral water, as it can boost metabolism.
Moreover, having morning breakfast regularly is necessary as it offers primary
sources of energy needed to start the day optimally. We also need to limit our
consumption of sugary, savory, and fatty foods.

Last but not least, the First Pillar suggests the consumption of various foods
according to the amount and proportion needed by our body.

2. Practicing Hygiene and Sanitation

Personal hygiene and environmental sanitation may affect


health and can cause infectious diseases when not practiced
properly. Infectious disease is one of the direct causes of
a person’s nutritional status. A person who suffers from
under-nutrition usually has low immunity, which
can increase his/her risk of infections. In turn, a
person suffering from an infectious disease may
experience a decrease in appetite, so that the
amount and types of nutrients absorbed by his/
her body could lessen. At the same time, the
body needs more energy and nutrients to boost
metabolism and accelerate recovery.

Thus, personal hygiene and sanitation need to be practiced, including:

● Always washing hands with soap under running clean water at crucial
times (i.e. before eating, before preparing food and beverages, and after
defecating and urinating).
● Covering food to keep it away from flies and other animals and dust
● Covering mouth and nose when sneezing
● Putting on footwear to avoid worm infections

22 SEAMEO RECFON
3. Performing physical activities

The Guidelines for Balanced Nutrition refer to


physical activities as any activities that aim to
burn calories in achieving a balance between
the energy produced from food in the body
and the energy used.

Physical activities are very beneficial to


improve fitness and the functions of
the heart, lungs, and muscles, as well as
preventing overweight. They also boost
the production of hormones such as seretonin,
dopamine, and endorphins. Endorphins interact
with receptors in the brain, and this results in a
lower perception and sensation of pain and ache,
thus helping to lower heartbeat and blood pressure. Endorphins are able to stabilize
breathing and help to restore our body temperature to normal. Meanwhile, dopamine
and serotonin are associated with feelings of comfort, pleasure, and happiness.

Physical activities are not limited to sports only. Household chores (e.g. sweeping and
cleaning the house) and other activities, such as walking, are also regarded as physical
activities. To maintain body fitness, it is recommended to perform physical activities for
30 minutes every day or at least 3-5 days a week.

4. Monitoring body weight

Body weight is one of the determining factors of the nutritional status. Among children
aged 0-18 years old, body weight, height, age and gender are used to determine whether
a child is categorized as normal, under-nourished, or over-nourished. To assess the
nutritional status of children aged 0-18 years old, the World Health Organization
(WHO) has introduced growth chart for males (blue) and females (pink) that includes
information on body weight, height, and age.

Balanced Nutrition 23
Meanwhile, among adults, body weight is used to calculate the body mass index (BMI)
value with the following calculation:

BMI = Weight (kg) / Height2 (m2)

The BMI cut-off is set according to FAO/WHO


reference. For the Indonesian population, the
cut-off points are adjusted to accommodate
clinical experiences and research results in
other similar developing countries. The BMI
cut-off points for Indonesian adults are as the
following:

BMI cut-off points for Indonesian adults

Category BMI

Underweight Severe < 17,0

Thin Mild 17 - < 18,5

Normal 18,5 - 25,0

Overweight Mild >25,0 - 27,0

Obese Severe > 27,0

Weight needs to be continuously monitored to determine one’s current nutritional


status. By knowing our nutritional status, one can be more aware of his/her health
conditions and maintain health optimally.

24 SEAMEO RECFON
C Food Pyramid and My Plate
“Tumpeng Gizi Seimbang"

“Tumpeng Gizi Seimbang” (or “the Cone of Balanced Nutrition” in English) is the food
pyramid used in Indonesia as a guideline for daily food intake for Indonesians. The
position of a particular type of food as placed on the cone indicates its recommended
amount of consumption; the higher the position is (nearing the cone's top), the less the
food should be consumed.

The food pyramid of “Tumpeng Gizi Seimbang”

Balanced Nutrition 25
The first (bottom) layer represents sources of energy that contain large amounts of
carbohydrates, such as rice, corn, cereal, yam, potatoes, cassava, wheat, etc. This
food group is recommended to be consumed in 3-4 servings a day. The second layer
represents sources of food function as regulators containing vitamins and minerals
such as vegetables and fruits. The suggested serving of vegetables is the same as
that of carbohydrates (i.e. 3-4 servings per day), while fruits shall be consumed in 2-3
servings per day. The next layer represents sources of the building blocks of body
tissues which contain protein, from both animals and plants. Animal proteins include
fish, eggs, chicken, beef, milk, and cheese. Meanwhile, the examples of plant-based
proteins are tofu, tempeh, and legume. The top of the cone represents additives,
whose daily consumption is recommended to be limited to four tablespoons of sugar,
one tablespoon of salt, and five tablespoons of oil.

In addition, “Tumpeng Gizi Seimbang” suggests substituting foods for each food group,
for example:

● in the animal protein group, one glass


of milk is equivalent to an egg,

● in the carbohydrate group, rice can


be substituted by cassava, potatoes,
or noodles

“Tumpeng Gizi Seimbang” also advises on


healthy living habits, including:

● performing physical activities

● washing hands

● monitoring weight

● drinking eight glasses of water a day

26 SEAMEO RECFON
“My Plate"

Accompanying the food pyramid, Indonesians are also guided by a meal guide similar
to “My Plate” as used in many other countries. Calculating the recommended amount
of nutrients to be consumed in one meal can be tricky, but this has actually been set
down in the Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 41 of 2014 as a guideline called
“Piring Makanku” (or “My Meal Plate” in English), which was revised in 2017 into “Isi
Piringku”

“Isi Piringku” sets forth the recommended portion of food per meal to maintain health.
As illustrated in “Isi Piringku”, one serving should contain 1/3 portion of staple food, 1/3
portion of vegetables, and the remaining 1/3 to be evenly divided for a portion of side
dish and a portion of fruits. “Isi Piringku” also reminds us to drink mineral water, wash
hands with soap under running water, and perform physical activities.

The meal guide of “Isi Piringku”

Balanced Nutrition 27
D Nutritional Requirements by Age and Sex
The amount of nutrients required between one person and another is not always
the same. To achieve an optimum level of health, nutritional requirements shall
be determined based on one’s age, sex, physical activities, genetic conditions, and
physiological state.

The adequacy of daily nutrition intake is referred to as the Recommended Dietary


Allowance (RDA). In Indonesia, it is known as Angka Kecukupan Gizi (AKG). The amount
of daily nutritional requirements for the general public of Indonesians can be seen
in the AKG table published by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in
2013 (Appendix 3). The AKG table lays down the recommended dietary allowance for
Indonesian healthy individuals based on their age and sex group.

E The Need of Nutritious Foods from the School


Canteen
At school, the school community including students can fulfill their nutritional needs by
buying foods at the school canteen or from food vendors or bringing food from home.
Thus, the school plays a vital role in providing healthy foods for the school community.
The school canteen particularly holds a strategic position in terms of both supply and
demand. On the supply side, the school canteen has a role in providing safe, healthy,
and nutritious food and beverages for the school community. It can also be a place for
the school community to apply knowledge on nutrition and health. On the demand side,
the school canteen may serve as a place to increase the nutrition literacy of students
and the overall school community.

As a provider of food and beverages for the school community, the school canteen is
expected to play its major role of maintaining the health conditions of students and the
overall school community, particularly to lower the risk of non-communicable diseases,
such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart attack. Non-communicable diseases
may be prevented by controlling the daily intake of sugar, salt, and fat/oil. It is advisable
that the school canteen provides information on both the nutrient contents and the
amount of sugar, salt, and fat in every food sold. The maximum daily intake of sugar,
salt, and fat as recommended by the Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia is as
follows:

28 SEAMEO RECFON
1. Sugar: 50 gr (4 tablespoons)
2. Salt: 2000 mgs or 5 gr of sodium (1 teaspoon)
3. Fat/oil: 67 gr (5 tablespoons)

To put it simply, the formula for Sugar-Salt-Oil daily intake is S4-S1-O5. For example,
one piece of chocolate doughnut contains about 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, while a glass
of carbonated drink contains about 2.5 tablespoons of sugar. The consumption of a
doughnut and a glass of carbonated drink alone has exceeded the maximum limit of
sugar consumption per day (four tablespoons or 50 grams). Meanwhile, these foods/
drinks may not be the only foods and beverages containing sugar that we consume
during the day.

The table below provides information on some nutrient contents as well as salt in some
foods commonly sold at the school canteen in Indonesia. By knowing the nutrient
contents of the foods available at the canteen, students can estimate the amount of
calories and other nutrients they consume. The AKG table in Appendix 4 can also be
used to estimate the adequacy level of daily nutrient intakes.

Table 3.2 Nutrient contents of several types of food often found at the school canteen*

Size in Calorie Protein Sodium/


No Food Name Serving Size Fat (gr)
gram** (kcal) (gr) salt (mg)

1 medium
1 Nasi goreng (Fried rice) 200 500 7.0 34.4 18.0
serving

Nasi uduk (Rice cooked in coconut 1 medium


200 263 4.2 3.0 2.0
2 milk with some side dish) serving

3 Bakso (Meatball soup with noodle) 1 bowl 400 564 19.2 2.8 4.0

Bubur ayam (Congee/Chicken


4 1 bowl 300 477 15.3 6.3 21.0
porridge)

5 Soto ayam (Chicken noodle soup) 1 bowl 250 270 18.5 11.5 75

6 Fried egg (scrambled/sunny-side-up) 1 piece 60 191 12.0 15.1 70.8

7 Doughnut 1 piece 30 120 1.6 6.5 6.0

Martabak manis (Sweet stuffed


8 1 slice 55 122 1.4 9.4 13.8
pancake)

9 Pisang goreng (Fried banana) 1 slice 60 95 0.5 6.2 0.6

10 Tahu isi goreng (Fried stuffed tofu) 1 piece 100 206 7.3 20.3 6.0

11 Bakwan (Vegetable fritter) 1 piece 50 270 2.7 20.3 0.5

12 Siomay (Steamed dumpling) 5 pieces 40 83 1.5 0.2 2.4

*nutrient content was based on the 2007 Nutrisurvey database

Balanced Nutrition 29
30 SEAMEO RECFON
Chapter 4

Strengthening Partnerships

Topic

Combining Demand-Based, Supply-Based, and Policy-Based Approaches in the


Development of a Healthy School Canteen

The Role of Partners in Healthy School Canteen Development

Healthy School Canteen in Partnership with the Community

A Combining Demand-Based, Supply-Based, and


Policy-Based Approaches in the Development of a
Healthy School Canteen
The school provides extensive learning facilities in developing students’ characters
early on. The learning methods used at school range from specific subjects in intra-
curricular lessons to interest-based learning through innovative clubs known as extra-
curricular lessons. There are also co-curricular lessons to support and strengthen
the intra- and extra-curricular lessons, such as visiting a museum, co-watching films
containing educational value, and attending seminars on relevant themes.

1. Demand-Based Approach

To gain knowledge on balanced nutrition, particularly nutritious, safe, and healthy


snacks, students can be exposed to relevant topics on nutrition and health using the
aforementioned methods. A demand-based approach can be taken to strengthen
students’ knowledge on nutrition and health topics. This way, students are expected to
be aware of their needs for safe, healthy, and nutritious food.

Strengthening Partnerships 31
For students to understand that they need safe, healthy, and nutritious food, this
requires a continuous process that cannot be done in just a few learning sessions. The
students need to receive constant encouragement through various learning modes
and methods. The students’ needs for safe, healthy, and nutritious food may promote
a healthy lifestyle to be adopted as a life skill for their future.

Fortunately, these days, learning methods used at school are more varied and can be
implemented according to the conditions of the students, teachers, and the respective
school. This results in a wide range of presentation techniques in nutrition education,
thanks to teachers’ creativity in developing various fun learning methods. Teachers’
creativity in presentation techniques and learning methods can now even reach a
wider audience by means of social media.

The following ideas can be tried out according to the circumstances and
conditions of each school.

Using the time slot of the homeroom During a literacy session, students are asked to
teacher, students are asked to tell read a book on Indonesian cuisine or a recipe
their favorite foods; then the teacher book on their favorite food; then the teacher
discusses the importance of a well- may conclude the session with an explanation
balanced menu as a concluding activity on the benefits of main nutrients for students’
growth and development

The teacher asks students to bring a Many studies have found that gardening and
packed meal to be eaten together with cooking harvested products together with
classmates during breakfast time on schoolmates may increase students' interest in
the next day; this is to be followed by a different types of vegetables. Schools having
teacher-led discussion on the importance gardening facilities are recommended to try
of consuming side dishes and vegetables those activities.

Nutrition education may also be carried The school can hold a contest of making
out during the class break, girl-only a well-balanced menu or cooking simple
activity hours, a physical education snacks using nutritious ingredients as
session, and sports time or using an a creative learning method that can be
appropriate thematic subject (for the implemented at all school levels.
elementary school level) in an out-of-
classroom setting, for example, at the
school canteen, in the school garden
area, and in the sports field

32 SEAMEO RECFON
The following ideas can be tried out according to the circumstances and
conditions of each school.

A bazaar can be conducted at the end of The school can place posters containing
the academic semester in which students information on healthy, safe, and nutritious
would cook/prepare and sell nutritious food and snacks in strategic places (e.g.
food and snacks (low in sugar, high in the canteen, library, computer laboratory,
fiber) while explaining to prospective wall magazine board, and the Student
customers why the food sold is safe, Health Care Unit room). The posters would
nutritious, and healthy. This can help to be more meaningful if they are created by
sharpen students’ self-confidence and the students themselves. One practical
entrepreneurial skills example is from a study conducted in
Jakarta; at a school canteen, a menu board
was put up at each kiosk as a learning
medium for high school students to
consider the contents of sugar, salt, and
fat/oil in the snacks/food and beverages
sold.

Other than the teachers and the school Alternatively, students may be interested
principal, a speaker from the local Public if parents can come to school and deliver
Health Center or any other related some materials on nutrition and health
institutions can be invited to share their topics
knowledge in a discussion on safe,
healthy, and nutritious food.

The teacher can invite students to play a During an outing, a seminar, or another out-
guessing game on fruits and vegetables of-class activity, the school should provide
and then discuss the benefits of fruits safe, healthy, and nutritious snacks. The
and vegetables as a concluding activity teachers in charge of the activity may also
allocate some time before the lunch break
to discuss the contents and benefits of
nutritious food.

2. Supply-Based Approach

Despite all of the aforementioned innovative ideas for nutrition education, regrettably,
some studies found that those efforts do not necessarily result in students’ selecting
safe, healthy, and nutritious food. External factors are found to have significantly
interfered with the understanding and need of the students to consume safe, healthy,

Strengthening Partnerships 33
and nutritious food. School canteen vendors and street vendors surrounding the school
belong to the category of external factors, and snacks sold outside the school often
complicate the problems further. Tempted by mouth-watering yet possibly unhealthy
snacks, students often give in and disregard all of the lessons they have been taught
about nutrition. In this context, the school canteen and the nearby street vendors
need to be taken into account in the supply-based approach.

Various studies reveal that food selection by both children and adults is often driven
by: 1) Taste; 2) preference; 3) price; and, 4) availability. As a provider of food, the school
canteen is the first resort for students to go to in order to quickly recharge their energy
after doing so many activities at school. However, the results of a food quality mapping
at the canteen at various school levels show that the food and beverages provided
generally contain a lot of sugar, salt, oil, with a much less variety of vegetables and
fruits. Even at some schools, there are still food and beverages which are suspected to
contain harmful additives due to their striking color and smell. Snacks sold by street
vendors have a similarly low quality, but these can only be bought and consumed by
the students after school.

The above situation certainly calls for a major improvement. Schools need to apply
relevant rules and guide both of the school canteen and street vendors. A number
of schools have shown a high commitment to developing a healthy school canteen
by drafting an agreement with the school canteen vendors regarding their rights and
obligations to participate in the implementation of a healthy school canteen. These
schools also establish a task force involving students as field supervisors to monitor if
the snacks sold at their school canteen already comply with the health standards.

3. Policy-Based Approach

The teaching and learning of balanced nutrition have now entered a new era, in which
a learning process followed by actual practices is perceived to be more relevant to
students. Therefore, the combination of demand-based and supply-based approaches
by teachers and the school principal is essential to facilitate students in practicing
the consumption of balanced nutrition. In addition, the contests of healthy schools
have motivated many schools to obtain the title of a Healthy School Canteen, which is

34 SEAMEO RECFON
one of the components for assessment in the reward program . Equally important is
the commitment of the school principal, which has been proven to be a driving force
behind a school’s achievement; continued commitment is usually followed by the
establishment of a supporting policy. Thus, the policy-based approach complements
the demand-based and supply-based approach, and these can collectively create a
synergy.

● Without a specific school policy, teachers may perceive it unnecessary to


receive training on nutrition and may not be motivated to provide creative
and innovative nutrition education (e.g. through interesting presentations) for
the students.
● Without any commitment from the school, the school canteen would not
progress into a healthy canteen that offers safe, healthy, and nutritious food
and acts as a place for students to practice their knowledge on nutrition.

Publishing a written commitment of the school policy is proven to improve


the motivation and a sense of belonging of the school community to play a
role in developing a healthy school canteen, forming good habits, and putting
in sustainable effort. Ideally, the school policy should be formulated out of the
collective input from the overall school community.

Some schools even put up a pledge board specifying their commitment or a


certificate of recognition for their healthy canteen in a strategic location in the
school area to remind the school community that the efforts to achieve a healthy
school canteen shall be performed continuously.

A school with a Healthy Canteen or Healthy School award would certainly possess
more value compared to other schools, and this can appeal to more prospective
students.

In conclusion, the three approaches mentioned above should be adopted


simultaneously and continuously for students to lead a healthy lifestyle, including the
consumption of safe, healthy, and nutritious food.

Strengthening Partnerships 35
Steps towards the development of a healthy school canteen

1. The school shall coordinate with the local Education Department Office
and local Health Department/Public Health Center

2. The school shall keep the students’ parents, the canteen manager, and
the canteen vendors updated

3. The school shall appoint a school canteen manager and a supervisor

4. The school shall assign the school canteen manager and supervisor to
attend healthy canteen trainings organized by relevant institutions

5. The school shall organize trainings and provide guidance for the canteen
manager and the canteen vendors

6. The school shall put in place the written policy about the Healthy School
Canteen

7. The school shall provide proper utilities and facilities at the canteen

8. The school and the supervisor shall monitor and evaluate the
implementation of the healthy school canteen

(Adapted from the Ministry of Education and Culture, 2014)

B The Role of Partners in Healthy School Canteen


Development
In order to bring in positive impacts on the students’ learning process, the school
community and relevant stakeholders need to play their active role so that healthy,
safe, and nutritious food can be provided at the school canteen.

The aforesaid stakeholders include the school principal, teachers, students, the canteen
superintendent, food vendors/handlers, the school committee, the local Public Health
Center officers, the education supervisor/Technical Implementation Unit, and the local
government. Each of them has a role in supporting the continuous implementation of
the school canteen program.

36 SEAMEO RECFON
1. Local Government

The local government is responsible for financing the procurement of school canteen
facilities and formulating regulations to support food safety at school, such as the
establishment of the School Health Unit team and the construction of a physical
building and food kiosks/stalls in accordance with the applicable rules.

2. Education Supervisor/Technical Implementation Unit

The Education Supervisor/Technical Implementation Unit plays a role in supervising


the school canteen vendors in preparing, cooking, transporting, and serving food
according to the health standards.

3. Public Health Center Officers

The local Public Health Center team engaged in the School Health Program consists
of a Health Promotion team, Nutrition Implementation Personnel, and Environmental
Health Personnel. Their role is mainly to determine if the food provided at the school
canteen is nutritious and safe and to ensure that the quality of food sold by vendors
meets the health requirements. The local Public Health Center team may also deliver
training on a healthy school canteen and balanced nutrition.

4. School Principal

The school principal plays a role in coordinating all activities related to food safety
at school. This includes the selection of school canteen vendors (as well as issuing a
license to sell food at school) and the provision of a clean space and the necessary
facilities. The principal should also provide clean water and garbage bins in a sufficient
quantity for the food vendors. In choosing a canteen supervisor, the principal may sit
together with the school committee in a forum according to the available resources
owned by the school.

Strengthening Partnerships 37
5. Teachers

Teachers perform a vital role of providing education, guidance, and direction to the
students to choose, buy, and consume nutritious and safe food, as well as supervising
the school canteen vendors in selling food and beverages so that these meet the health
requirements.

6. Parents (School Committee)

The students’ parents (School Committee) play a role in assisting the school principal in
coordinating all activities related to food safety at school. Moreover, they shall assist the
school principal in determining the vendors allowed to sell food at the school canteen
and in providing a clean space and facilities for the food vendors.

At home, parents' role is still needed to provide safe and nutritious lunch boxes to
be consumed by students at school. Parents may also guide their children through
practices of a balanced diet, such as by consuming homemade food and maintaining
an adequate intake of fruits and vegetables.

7. Students

Students play a role in selecting, purchasing, and consuming safe food with excellent
nutritional value under the teachers' guidance and direction. The school may strengthen
the Program of Students as Health Assistants and ask the participating students to be
role models in applying a clean and healthy lifestyle at both school and home. These
students may also be trained to become personnel to supervise the school canteen in
coordination with the Public Health Center team and the teachers.

8. Canteen Owner and Manager

The canteen owner and manager play a role in selling nutritious and safe food for
students, teachers, and the whole school community. In addition, they must maintain
the facilities and the canteen space well.

38 SEAMEO RECFON
9. Food Vendors/Handlers

Food vendors/handlers play a role in preparing, cooking, and serving food properly
according to the applicable health standards.

All of those stakeholders need to communicate and cooperate with each other, as well
as being committed to continuously planning and implementing the supervision of
food safety at school. In particular, the school principal is a key person in charge of
developing a communication forum for all stakeholders on an ongoing basis.

C Healthy School Canteen in Partnership with the


Community
If a school has no canteen, it would be more likely that street vendors keep selling
food around the school area. Generally, these street vendors are residents of the
surrounding area, the students’ parents, or even part of the school community itself
(e.g. the family member of a school gardener or keeper). Street vendors sometimes sell
food after school hours. In response to this, teachers often feel helpless to prevent their
students from buying unsafe snacks from those street vendors. Surprisingly, the same
problem is also faced by schools with proper canteen facilities. Even though the school
policy prohibits street vendors from selling food around the school area, students can
still come to them after school hours.

Consequently, the school should be able to urge street vendors to sell healthy and safe
food only for the students. In this case, a cross-sectoral collaboration (e.g. the local
government, the local Public Health Center, and other stakeholders) is vital to be
initiated by the school in maintaining a harmonious partnership with the surrounding
community. Training can be conducted to provide guidance for street vendors. This
should be followed by close supervision through a personal approach to monitor the
improvement in the quality of snacks sold, even if such progress is achieved gradually.

As stipulated in the general school policy, a healthy school canteen may have an
extensive role in educating the community around the school. The understanding
of safe, healthy, and nutritious foods by the surrounding community will help the
students to develop a healthy lifestyle. In turn, tailored education through counseling
and training targeted for the surrounding community shall address their respective
needs.

Strengthening Partnerships 39
Nutrition and health are examples of the topics that can be delivered and discussed
with the community surrounding the school in specific events, such as community
service activities. The food produced by the community around the school can also
be sold during a Market Day or School Bazaar provided that the food is safe, healthy,
and nutritious. The teachers, students, and other parties should actively participate in
those efforts to achieve a harmonious partnership with the surrounding community in
creating a healthy, clean, and safe school environment.

Through a healthy school canteen, students can also influence their family to consume
safe, healthy, and nutritious food. If a student routinely brings a pack of safe, healthy,
and nutritious meal from home, it means that the information on nutrition received by
the student at school may have been passed on to his/her family members at home.
Enjoying safe, healthy, and nutritious food together with family members at home can
be listed as one of the collaborative activities to be conducted and agreed upon by
the school and parents through the school committee. As a complement, counseling
activities may be held by the school by inviting a speaker from the local Public Health
Center.

The school can also seek sponsorship from the private sector or collaborate with a
company that provides safe, healthy, and nutritious food, a supermarket that sells
fresh fruits and vegetables, or a farm that produces local fresh food ingredients. The
Market Day, School Bazaar, and Cooking Contest are some activities that may need
external funding. Although many schools may lack proposal writing skills or the ability to
manage a collaborative activity with sponsors, the opportunity to look for sponsorship
is definitely worth pursuing. On the part of the sponsors, conducting collaborative
activities with a school may bring about learning opportunities and ideas on how to
support the public education and the health sector.

The existence of a healthy school canteen which provides safe, healthy, and nutritious
food can be deemed news-worthy. Thus, the school can also collaborate with the local
media to disseminate information about the school’s activities, while promoting the
school’s excellence. The media sector should be regularly involved in documenting
inspiring activities at school so that best practices can be learned and replicated by
other schools and the public.

A list of ideas on activities to gain potential funding and other resources is specified in
Appendix 4.

40 SEAMEO RECFON
Strengthening Partnerships 41
Chapter 5

Towards a Healthy School


Canteen: A Collection of Best
Practices
This chapter lays down a collection of best practices written by the canteen managers,
teachers and school principas from various educational levels across Indonesia. This
may provide insights into efforts and achievements in developing a school canteen
amidst differing conditions and capabilities of the schools.

The best practices are categorized into five themes:

Topic

School Policy

Canteen Management

Nutrition Education for Students and the School Community

Canteen Supervision and Guidance System

Partnerships

A School Policy

BP 1: The Strong Commitment of the Principal Towards a Healthy Canteen


at a Public Elementary School

Background

Management is an essential process of planning, organizing, implementing, leading,


and controlling an organization's members to achieve the defined objectives. It is
regarded as a process because all managers with their respective agility and skills must

42 SEAMEO RECFON
strive and utilize the various resources available to support related activities to achieve
the objectives.

As the highest person-in-charge, the school principal should put in maximum efforts to
achieve the objectives, in line with the school's vision and missions, and carry out his/
her main responsibilities. As a manager, the school principal should be able to plan,
organize, and motivate all of the school community in aiming for both physically and
spiritually healthy students.

Hence, to accomplish the school’s vision and missions, the principal must demonstrate
a strong commitment, and the effort shall be devoted by the whole school community
as a collective responsibility.

Early Challenges and Conditions

We are aware that canteen facilities are vital for meeting students' daily needs, so we
constructed simple building structures and provided facilities to build a canteen in a
previously idle space. Therefore, our canteen cannot be considered decent. However,
the Head of the Sub-district Education Office approached our school and asked us to
participate in a healthy school canteen contest to represent the sub-district. We were
given three weeks to prepare for it.

Steps Taken

Being trusted to represent our sub-district in the healthy school canteen contest was
indeed a pride, even though we were quite overwhelmed due to the considerably
limited preparation time. Nevertheless, we always believe that the school canteen is
essential in supporting learning activities and also in meeting the nutrition and health
requirements of our students, so we accepted the challenge and took the initial steps
as follows:

1. Holding intensive meetings with our colleagues to establish the commitment of


working together to participate in the healthy canteen contest. This served as a
foundation for the next step related to the robust planning to face the contest.

2. Collectively learning the criteria and indicators for a healthy school canteen so
that we would have similar expectations to achieve the ultimate goal.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 43


3. Establishing the organizational structure of our school canteen to enhance
collaboration and coordination between the school principal, the executing
team, and other stakeholders. An example of the organizational structure of a
healthy school canteen can be seen in Appendix 5.

4. Issuing a principal decree and an assignment letter for all team members who
were involved in the preparation. These documents were deemed necessary for
the team members to understand their respective duties and roles so that the
expected results co uld be achieved.

The above four steps were taken under the direction of the school principal who
coordinated and synergized all of the parties involved and the efforts in improving the
school canteen so that we could be an eligible participant in the contest.

Further efforts made for the school canteen are as follows:

1. Working out a School Budget Activity Plan


2. Drafting a proposal and sending it to various relevant institutions (e.g.
business entities and the alumni) to collaborate with us
3. Signing an MoU with relevant parties and conducting joint programs
4. Implementing the guidelines for a Healthy School Canteen
5. Conducting periodical information sessions for the teachers, students,
vendors, and parents once in 3 months
6. Establishing the “Little Doctors” program among the students

We gained numerous benefits after participating in the contest, such as:

1. Gaining the attention from the local Public Health Office, after which
our canteen was frequently visited, given counseling and even funding
support for the procurement of hand-washing facilities (which were
initially made of used materials and then replaced with faucets)
2. Being assigned to compete in another healthy school contest to represent
the District level
3. Being awarded the Adiwiyata (an environmental-based reward program)
at the national level
4. Gaining trust from the community

44 SEAMEO RECFON
We earned the award by always coming up with various innovations to motivate the
students, the team, and other relevant stakeholders. We also monitored, evaluated,
and guided everyone involved regularly.

Fast forward to the current condition of our school, we have gained numerous benefits,
especially increased trust from the public which has boosted the number of student
applicants to our school.

“At the beginning, we felt as if everything was FORCED and performed BY FORCE
and abruptly. However, as time went by, we were more convinced that we COULD
do everything and got ACCUSTOMED to the work we were putting in. Over time, the
healthy living and hygienic environment implemented at our school have become
a CULTURE. We call this strategy DTB3 (an Indonesian abbreviation) as Dipaksa
(FORCED), Terpaksa (BY FORCE), Bisa (COULD), Biasa (ACCUSTOMED), Budaya
(CULTURE)

Evidently, after the evaluation, everything was carried out passionately and
responsibly in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. Coupled with sufficient
preparation, all of the plans could be executed properly.”

BP 2: The Development of a Semi-Permanent Canteen

Background

There are two types of Healthy School Canteen: 1) an indoor canteen; and, 2) an outdoor
canteen (e.g. in the corridor or the schoolyard). Although a canteen is outdoor, it should
still have an enclosed space dedicated for food preparation and serving. Regardless
of the type, a canteen must have enough facilities and utilities, including clean water
sources, storage rooms, processing facilities, serving tables, dining rooms, sanitation
facilities, work supplies, and an enclosed waste disposal system.

In reality, many schools face challenges in providing standardized facilities and


infrastructure for their school canteen. However, given the important role of the

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 45


school canteen in meeting the needs for food, beverages, and snacks of the school
community, these schools make efforts to seek alternatives for establishing a canteen,
such as by utilizing an existing place (e.g. the space under the stairs or along the school
corridor), sharing room with the storage room, or even for schools with no canteen
facilities, allowing the street vendors present outside the school premise to sell foods
to the students during the lunch break or after school.

Canteen with permanent building and semi-permanent building

Other than space, it is also important for schools to arrange seating facilities for
students to enjoy food at the canteen. A school canteen which has no dedicated place
for seating should think creatively in finding an alternative space that may be used for
a seating area, for example, in the corridor between classes or in the school's backyard.

Challenges and Early Conditions

Our school is located in a densely populated area in Jakarta. Due to the limited space,
the canteen facilities were somehow improper. The school canteen space sits on a
semi-permanent structure in an outdoor setting (i.e. a space in the school’s backyard)
with a roof over it. Our school canteen was almost always crowded, especially during
the lunch break. The narrow area left no space for seating, so most students could not
eat at the canteen and just wandered around while eating or took the food back to
their classrooms.

46 SEAMEO RECFON
Steps Taken

We understood that we could no longer let students wander around while eating given
the unavailability of a seating area at the canteen. We also wanted the school to be a
learning center for our students in adopting good habits, including eating and drinking
in a sitting position. Eventually, we found an idea of turning some space in the school’s
backyard, which is located next to our school canteen, into a seating area.

The School Principal then formed a team consisting of the health program teachers and
the school canteen managers. The team drafted a budget proposal on the provision of
tables and chairs for the school canteen's seating area. At that time, the calculations
were done at a minimal cost. We submitted the budget proposal of school facilities
maintenance to the Principal to be allocated in the regular budgeting.

Aside from the regular budget, the budget proposal included the proposed purchases
of materials such as wood, paint, tables, and chairs, and this was communicated in the
following steps:

1. Informing the school community about the importance of seating facilities for the
students during the lunch break and the call for their contribution, either directly
or indirectly. Examples of direct contributions were giving ideas/suggestions or
giving donations in the form of required building materials because the school
could only accept non-monetary donations. Meanwhile, indirect contributions
were offered to the local community surrounding the school, such as building
material stores, relevant offices, and restaurants.

2. Sending the budget proposal to the alumni and inviting them to contribute the
building material needed.

The school also involved the relevant parties, for instance, the school superintendent
team, local Public Health Center, and police station.

Results Achieved

Thanks to the teamwork and support of the Principal and also the community around
the school, we could finally provide a reasonably comfortable dining area close to our
school canteen.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 47


The preparation stage The final look on the seating area

In addition to providing a dining area, we performed sanitary maintenance, including


the provision of sufficiently clean water, an enclosed wastewater drainage system
using waterproof material, enclosed garbage bins (continued with supervision over
the regular disposal of the garbage), hand-washing facilities (equipped with soap and
running water in a sufficient quantity), and environmental sanitation tools and storage,
as well as ensuring that the toilet location is far from the canteen (at a minimum
distance of 20 meters).

Furthermore, our school earned the title of “Healthy School” in 2016 at the municipal
level of Central Jakarta. This achievement motivated us to keep up the good work, and
as a result, our school won the same award in 2017.

Follow-Up Plans

Our next plan is to build a semi-permanent canteen according to the defined standards.
This effort started when we prepared our school for the 2018 Healthy School Award
Program at the provincial level of DKI Jakarta , after earning the title of “Healthy School”
at the municipal level twice.

The development of our school canteen is never free from challenges, and these need
to be solved with the involvement of the overall school community. Some efforts we
have put in so far, include:

48 SEAMEO RECFON
1. Informing the teachers and employees

Teachers have a significant role and influence in developing the school


canteen concept, while the school employees are expected to contribute to the
accomplishment of our shared goal.

2. Forming a building planning team, a budget planning team, and a building


material procurement team, as well as setting a timeline for the implementation.

Building planning team

The team consists of the school management (the principal and the teachers),
as they have a better understanding of the layout and availability of space to
be utilized as a school canteen. This team can choose between designing the
canteen themselves and getting assistance from another party.

Budget Planning Team

The work of this team starts once the building planning team has finished their
plan. This team would involve the building planning team in specifying the
construction material needed and the minimum standards that should be met.

Building Material Procurement Team

Limited funding is a common challenge for many schools in developing a healthy


school canteen as the school’s facility and utility budget must be allocated for
other activities as well. It is for this reason that the school formed a building
material procurement team.

Why is it called a “building material procurement team”?

According to the applicable regulations, the school could not accept monetary
assistance, even if it comes from the parents, for supporting the school canteen
development. Alternatively, the school has assigned this team specifically to
receive donations in the form of required building materials from parents and
the related community members.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 49


As the first step, the building material procurement team will list down all of
the building materials required for the school canteen construction. These
details are elaborated on in the procurement plan of the building materials
(note that the school also provides the necessary building materials, but the
quantity depends on the availability of the school’s funds). The building material
procurement team further details both primary and supplementary building
materials. As the construction begins with the foundation, the walls, the roof,
and then the flooring, the list of building materials needed should follow this
order, starting from the foundation up to the floor.

Construction Team

This team carries out its functions according to the workflow of the building
material procurement team. Once the material for the foundation is available,
the construction team will work on the foundation first and so on until the
installment of the roof and the flooring. It would be helpful to have dedicated
human resources as the construction team. However, other schools may not
have these extra resources, so they can make a good use of the existing team(s)
to also cover the construction work.

3. Informing the school community, the surrounding community, and the alumni of
the plan. The plan for the school canteen development, the rationale behind it,
and all of the construction needs are important to be communicated to relevant
stakeholders.

Informing the teachers and employees

Each team shall explain their respective roles so that the school community can
get an overview of the desired results in the school canteen development.

Informing the students’ parents, the surrounding community,

and the alumni

In one dedicated session, the building material procurement team can detail
the building materials required to construct the school canteen, as listed down
in the proposal. Next, constructive input and feedback should be welcomed.

50 SEAMEO RECFON
The parents, the surrounding community, and the alumni are also invited to
contribute to the provision of building materials.

4. Involving the relevant parties

This activity is mainly meant to seek guidance and supervision from the relevant
authorities, such as the school’s superintendent team, local Public Health Center,
and police station.

5. Starting the construction

The construction team shall work based on the canteen construction plan in
stages, starting from the foundation, the walls, the roof, to the floor.

B Canteen Management

BP 3: School Cooperative as the School Canteen Administrative Agency

Background

Many schools are still hampered by limited resources when it comes to the development
of a healthy school canteen. Moreover, maintaining the operation of the school canteen
alone requires considerable effort, from providing standardized facilities and utilities,
to finding human resources responsible for running the school canteen. None of these
can be done in a short span of time. Therefore, in addition to the required involvement
from various parties, the operation of a healthy school canteen entails careful planning
to achieve sustainability; it is unfortunate that many schools run a healthy school
canteen only temporarily, especially for the sake of participating in an award program.

The complex challenges presented in the operation of the school canteen require the
school principal’s role as an innovator. The principal needs to be knowledgeable and
able to encourage ideas from the teachers and other staff.

While some schools assign a third party to manage the school canteen, some other
schools involve the school’s cooperative as the school canteen administrative agency.
Most importantly, each school should base the selection of the school canteen
management on its needs.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 51


The School Cooperative

The legal basis for the establishment of the school cooperative is stipulated in the Joint
Decree between the Ministry of Transmigration and Cooperatives and the Ministry
of Education and Culture dated July 16, 1972, No. 275/SKPTS/Mentranskop and
No. 0102/U/1983, which is then elaborated further in the Decree of the Minister of
Manpower, Transmigration and Cooperatives No. 633/SKPTS/Men/1974.

Members of the school cooperative may include the teachers, the employees, and the
students. The school’s cooperative can be established at various educational levels, be
it at an elementary school, a junior high school, a senior high school, or a vocational
school. A cooperative may also exist in other informal educational institutions, such as
foundations and community-based organizations.

The rationale behind the establishment of the school cooperative based


on the Decree No. 633/SKPTS/Men/1974 includes the following:

1. To support the government’s development programs in the cooperative


business sector through the school’s educational programs

2. To raise students’ awareness of the school’s cooperative

3. To foster the sense of responsibility, discipline, loyalty, and cooperative


spirit

4. To improve the knowledge and skills to cooperate, which can be useful


for the community

5. To fulfill students’ needs and develop their welfare inside and outside the
school

The school cooperative is not a legal entity. In this respect, the management of the
school cooperative shall always strive to achieve the set educational purposes. The
principles of the organization and management shall be in accordance with the
principles of the cooperative in general, in compliance with the applicable laws and
regulations, and intended for the students to gain an early understanding of the

52 SEAMEO RECFON
cooperative/entrepreneurship and practical experience in applying the principles of
cooperative.

In its operation, which is managed by the whole school community, the school
cooperative sells learning and teaching supplies at relatively low prices. The
management of the school cooperative involves planning, regulating, and assessing
various resources available in the organization by utilizing the existing facilities to reach
the defined objectives.

The school is an institution that facilitates the students in expanding knowledge and
exploring their potentials from the scientific/intellectual aspect, as well as nurturing
good manners through character building. The school does not only focus on academic
achievements but also guides and educates students to have good habits and behavior.

Thus, the school and the cooperative are interconnected and should benefit each
other. Both play a role in shaping the character of the students and the overall school
community. Hence, those two entities should always cooperate with each other, rather
than acting independently.

Challenges and Early Conditions

At the beginning of the school canteen establishment, we thought that

● The operation of the school canteen should pay attention to several


aspects, such as the canteen’s objectives and functions, the available
funds, the existing facilities and utilities at the canteen, and supervision
from the school

● The school canteen should be an integral part of the school’s programs


as a whole and should not to be treated as a profit maker for the school

● On the above basis, the school can issue policies benefiting the school
and the canteen management team

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 53


Since the students need food and beverages to satisfy their hunger and thirst,
particularly if they have no time to have breakfast at home, our school initiated the
development of a school canteen.

Our school is one of the junior high schools in Jakarta that underwent a conversion
from a technical school established in 1964 to a junior high school in 1994. This change
had also affected the school cooperative establishment, as well as the teachers and
the employees of the cooperative. The school building went through several times of
renovation because it was an old building, and the idea to develop a school canteen
was initiated during the total renovation of the school building.

Steps Taken

Our school tried to develop a school canteen that could meet the expectations of
various parties. Starting in 2010 on a gradual basis (using the available funds), the
management of the cooperative started developing a school canteen using an
unoccupied space in the western part of the school’s backyard. Within approximately
one year, the development of our canteen – consisting of five stalls sized 2x3m2 plus
one room for the school’s cooperative office – was completed. The stalls are leased
out annually to external parties, and the process is handled by the teachers and the
cooperative’s employees. We actually had an old canteen located on the east side,
which occupied a room of 4x6m2 and was rented by four tenants. However, the old
canteen was operated only for a year. As for now, the cooperative is only managing the
operation of the new canteen.

Results Achieved

Initially, the existing facilities and utilities at our school canteen had not met the
indicators for a healthy school canteen. For example, the basins for washing dirty
plates, glasses, spoons, and kitchen utensils were limited in quantity and used jointly
by all of the tenants. Currently, improvements have been made, and our canteen now
uses plates, bowls, and spoons as eating utensils, replacing styrofoam and other plastic
containers previously used.

54 SEAMEO RECFON
Year after year, the cooperative manager was making an effort to re-arrange the
canteen, including installing an electricity meter. Thankfully, all parties contribute to
the maintenance of the canteen. If there is any minor damage, the tenants will fix
it. Meanwhile, any significant damage is the responsibility of the cooperative. Clearly,
the cooperative's management has devoted their best effort to improve our school
canteen to be a clean, healthy, and halal canteen.

BP 4: Publication of the Guidelines for Healthy Canteen Management as


an Effort to Synchronize the Perceptions about and Commitment
on the Healthy School Canteen

Background

The school canteen is one of the mandatory facilities needed to provide healthy,
nutritious, and quality food for the school community (students, teachers, and
employees). It also plays an essential role in disseminating knowledge on health and
building the students’ characters.

However, the management of the school canteen is a complex activity because it involves
various parties, such as the canteen manager, the food vendors at the canteen, the
food handlers, the cashiers, the janitors, and the canteen superintendent and relevant
advisory board, all of whom need support from the whole school community as well as
the external parties, such as catering companies, supervisory officers from the Public
Health Center, and the local Education Department.

The involvement of multiple parties may result in differing understandings of the


management procedures to achieve the desired results for the healthy school canteen.

Challenges and Early Conditions

As an educational institution that operates at various educational levels, from


kindergarten to senior high school level in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and
Bekasi (Jabodetabek), our school continues to strive in optimizing the role of the
school canteen to fulfill the nutritional needs of the school community and to build the
students’ characters.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 55


Steps Taken

We understand that the stakeholders' commitment is essential and mandatory in


achieving a healthy school canteen. Therefore, with an approval from the stakeholders,
we set out guidelines for healthy canteen management. The guidelines are to be used
as the basis for preparing, operating, and evaluating the school canteen.

The Guidelines for Healthy Canteen Management include:

1. The rules on the types of food that are allowed to be sold at the canteen,
the quality of food ingredients used, the food containers and serving
place, the standards of the equipment used, as well as the hygiene and
sanitation of the canteen staff

2. The conditions of canteen supervision

3. The authorities and responsibilities of each stakeholder

Canteen supervision is necessary to ensure a proper implementation of the rules and


regulations. The supervisory team can include the school’s health program teachers,
the students, special staff from the Education Services and Support Department (under
the Health Division), and the Building Management Department.

The supervision over the school canteen can be performed through incidental
inspections by observing or interviewing the canteen manager based on a questionnaire
(of 50 questions). The next step to be taken is to collect food samples for testing to
check if the food additives used contain hazardous chemicals (e.g. formalin, borax,
peroxide, rhodamine B, and metanil yellow). The chemical test results and the
questionnaire results will become references for evaluating the school canteen and
establishing the next strategies for improvement. The students shall also evaluate the
canteen by completing a different questionnaire prepared by the Building Management
Department.

56 SEAMEO RECFON
Results Achieved

We realize that the canteen manager holds a central part of the operation of a healthy
canteen; thus, at the beginning of each academic year, we carefully choose a candidate
who will occupy the position of a school canteen manager. The canteen manager is
required to meet the requirements as defined by the school foundation.

The stages to be passed by a prospective canteen manager:

1. The canteen manager candidates submit a proposal on the types and


prices of food to be sold
2. The Building Management Department selects some proposals
3. Canteen manager candidates who pass the proposal selection are
announced
4. The rights and obligations of a canteen manager and the food tasting
schedule are informed to the candidates
5. A food testing session is conducted. Each canteen manager candidate is
required to provide three types of food to be sold. The assessment will
pay attention to: the preparation of the ingredients, the cooking and food
preparation process, and the serving of food according to the principles
of hygiene and sanitation, and the food’s nutritional contents
6. The results of the food tasting and the fulfillment of other administrative
requirements will determine which candidate to be the canteen manager
7. After a candidate is selected to be the canteen manager, he/she will
be explained about the school policy as described in the guidelines for
healthy canteen management and will sign a work contract

If the canteen manager fails to comply with the guidelines for healthy canteen
management, the canteen manager will be penalized in stages, from receiving a verbal
warning, obtaining a warning letter, to having his/her work contract terminated.

To maintain the quality of the school canteen, guidance and trainings for the canteen
manager shall be regularly provided during regular meetings in each academic year
(i.e. in a seminar, food serving contest, or workshop).

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 57


BP 5: Involvement of Students in the Operation of a Healthy School
Canteen

Background

The school canteen development shall become the collective responsibility of the
whole school community. The implementation of a healthy school canteen requires
collaboration between all relevant parties and is expected to eventually benefit all
members of the school community.

The operation of a healthy school canteen necessitates not only proper facilities and
utilities but also qualified human resources, including the canteen manager (who is
usually also the canteen owner and one of the food handlers), the cashier, and the
canteen superintendent and governing board.

Ideally, the supervision of the school canteen should be performed by different


personnel (e.g. teachers or other employees at school). For schools with adequate
human resources, it is advisable to establish an organizational structure of the school
canteen management. In addition, the supervising personnel should have attended
various healthy school canteen training programs organized by relevant agencies, such
as the local Public Health Office and Education Department.

Another innovative idea is to empower students to be involved in managing the


school canteen, as has been initiated by many schools, commonly at the high school
level. Numerous vocational high schools with culinary arts and entrepreneurship
majors have also involved their students in the operation of their school canteen. The
rationale behind this activity is to equip the students with hands-on experience and an
opportunity to practice all of the knowledge they have gained in a real situation.

Challenges and Early Conditions

Our school is a private vocational school of information technology in Bogor which


occupies an area of 4600 m2 with approximately 1600 students. Since its establishment,
our school has always emphasized character building education by teaching positive

58 SEAMEO RECFON
values to the students as set out in the vision of the school – to become a national
exemplary vocational school with environmental-friendly culture, nationalism vision,
information technology basis, and excellence in the business world. Guided by this
vision, our school has received various awards, either represented by the school as
an institution, the teachers, or the students, at the municipal, provincial, and national
level, including the “Sekolah Adiwiyata Nasional” award since 2012.

Our school’s vision is pursued through the implementation of Competency-Based


Training (CBT) which serves as the venue for applying the knowledge gained from some
particular school subjects. Besides supporting the curriculum, the CBT is expected to
nurture good values in students in their real life. The CBT at our school is implemented
through a number of activities, such as CBT on Public Relations (for one day/year), CBT
on Vocational education subjects (per major for three days/year), CBT on Environment
education (for three days/year), and CBT on Entrepreneurship and healthy school
canteen (for three days/year).

Moreover, the “Sekolah Adiwiyata Nasional” title we earned has motivated our school to
advance further. Our next goal is to operate a healthy school canteen. Initially, our school
canteen was managed by an external vendor. However, during the implementation,
conflicts arose, and the school’s regulations on a healthy canteen were violated. Our
school finally took the school canteen over and has since then involved the students
who enroll in the CBT Entrepreneurship.

Steps Taken

In the CBT Entrepreneurship activity, students are involved in real canteen management.
This is an effort to achieve the school’s aim of fostering entrepreneurial honesty,
determination, and bravery of the students, so they will receive not only theoretical
but also experiential learning.

The students are taught to care about the hygiene of the canteen space and learn
the characteristics of food that is safe for consumption, the techniques to serve safe,
hygienic, and healthy food, and how to manage the cash flow of the canteen. To attract
the interest of the school community to shop at the school canteen, the canteen area

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 59


is divided into two sections. The northern area has tables, chairs, and several food
stalls just like a typical school canteen, while the southern area resembles a mini café
with a particular food ordering system. The supply of snacks to the canteen is from
the students’ parents, the teachers, and residents around the school, but they have to
ensure that the snacks sold meet the health requirements. Meanwhile, the main meals
and other additional snacks are prepared by the students of CBT who major in the
culinary arts with the help of some teachers and facilitators.

The school formed a canteen management team that had received training on
canteen supervision from the relevant parties. The canteen is led by a manager who
oversees the overall canteen management and finances. The manager is assisted
by 1) an entrepreneurship teacher who is assigned to coach the students of CBT
Entrepreneurship; 2) a hospitality teacher who supervises the management of food
and the canteen facilities; 3) a culinary arts teacher who guides the food preparation
process; 4) a physical education teacher who is responsible for food quality control;
and 5) the school health program team that monitors food hygiene and the canteen’s
sanitation.

Everyday, the assigned teachers supervise the school canteen’s management and
provide guidance. This is important to comply with the school’s rule which prohibits the
selling of packaged foods or beverages containing preservatives or other hazardous
substances.

All activities at the canteen are centered on the students, who receive direction and
guidance from the teachers or other relevant parties.

The implementation of our healthy school canteen is also supported by a school


garden, which is located on the fifth floor. This garden produces various vegetables
to be supplied to the school canteen. Just like the school canteen which involves the
students in its operation, all activities in the school garden, ranging from seeding,
tending the plants, to harvesting, are performed by the students under the teachers'
guidance.

60 SEAMEO RECFON
In the framework of the healthy school canteen implementation as
elaborated above, our school has taken the following steps:

● Assigning teachers and staff to attend training programs and seminars


organized by the relevant parties regarding the Healthy School Canteen
in order to gain insights that can be applicable to our school.

● Establishing a Healthy School Canteen Control Team

Results Achieved

Our school canteen has been operating optimally. The students enjoy the practical
learning process on how to manage a canteen. More importantly, the school canteen is
helpful for the students and the whole school community to fulfill their needs for food
and beverages.

The students also enjoy the benefits of managing the school garden as they gain an
understanding of the vegetable production chain from the school garden to supply
ingredients for the school canteen.

However, the management of the canteen does not always operate smoothly. Some
issues still arise in the supervision process, such as:

● Student’s lack of knowledge regarding the healthy school canteen, lack of


sense of responsibility towards the school canteen facilities, and lack of
financial management skills
● Customers’ (i.e. students and the school community) orientation that the
food must be “cheap and fulfilling”
● The high number of street vendors around the school who offer cheap and
delicious food at the expense of safety and hygiene
● The cashier’s multitasking as a food handler sometimes

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 61


To mitigate those issues, our school has expended the following efforts:

● Holding public lectures and training programs about food safety,


sanitation, and balanced nutrition attended by the teachers, the students,
and the school canteen personnel

● Holding continuous discussions on the Healthy School Canteen with the


school community to earn their full supports and trust that the foods
sold at the school canteen are healthier than the ones sold by the street
vendors

● Accommodating all aspirations of the school community regarding the


healthy canteen (e.g. facilities, utilities, menus)

● Establishing “e-canteen” as a financial transaction platform

● Increasing collaborations with relevant agencies, such as the local Public


Health Center (PHC), local Agency of Drug and Food Control, local Health
Office, local Education Office, and SEAMEO RECFON, to receive continuous
guidance for and supervision over the school canteen

C Nutrition Education for Students and the School


Community

BP 6: Nutrition Education for the School Community with No School


Canteen

Background

In Indonesia, a large number of schools have no canteen facilities. Thus, in order to


meet their nutritional needs, especially for breakfast and lunch, the school community
would usually buy foods from canteens run by residents around the school area or the
mobile food vendors who commonly stop by near the school during the lunch break.

62 SEAMEO RECFON
Despite the absence of canteen facilities, the school must stay committed to maintaining
the health of the school community. This includes ensuring the safety and nutritional
contents of the foods sold by these external canteens and the mobile food vendors.

In particular, the leadership of the school principal is needed to meet the optimum
health standards for the school community. One of the ways to achieve it is by providing
a healthy school canteen. The principal may play the role of a motivator, initiator,
mobilizer, and policymaker.

As a motivator, the school principal must be able to motivate the overall school
community regarding the importance of a healthy school canteen. As an initiator,
the school principal must initiate the establishment of a healthy school canteen by
involving the whole school community. As a mobilizer, the school principal should act
as the driving force behind the sustainability of the healthy school canteen. Finally,
as a policymaker, the principal must formulate policies to continuously support the
implementation of the healthy school canteen.

If there is no canteen facility at all, the principal’s role as a policymaker is vital. Policies
can be developed and implemented to run nutrition education programs for the school
community. This way, it is expected that the school community will be more aware
of the importance of consuming safe, healthy, and nutritious foods and beverages.
Besides, they are expected to be able to protect themselves against unsafe and
unhealthy snacks.

Challenges and Early Conditions

Located in a village in Bogor, all of the four senior high schools here have no canteen
facility, given the limited space and the lack of human resources. In general, schools
with no canteen facility are those recently established schools (<10 ten years) and
have fewer than 300 students. For these schools, developing new classrooms is more
prioritized over developing a school canteen.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 63


Usually, schools with no canteen facilities rely on external canteens and street vendors
(who sell food during the lunch break only) around the school area. The existence
of this external canteen – as we call them collectively – significantly helps the school
community to fulfill their nutritional needs, especially senior high school students
who already have certain preferences for which foods and beverages to consume and
require a relatively high energy intake after carrying out intense learning activities at
school.

An external canteen is usually managed in a traditional manner in which the owner,


the manager, and the seller are family members (i.e. run by a husband, a wife, and
their children). The only existing facility at the external canteen is mostly a garbage bin
with no separation between organic and inorganic waste. Hand washing facilities are
mostly not available. Under such a circumstance, students have to wash their hands in
the school toilet located far from the canteen. Furthermore, an external canteen has
a limited seating area, so students would usually bring the food they buy back to the
school.

Other than the school community, the external canteen also caters to the nutritional
needs of the general public. Unfortunately, due to its unhygienic environment (i.e.
located near a henhouse and goat pen), many insects, such as flies, are swarming
around, possibly contaminating the foods and beverages served without a cover.

Some of the challenges faced by the external canteen are:

● The canteen manager is not qualified to operate a school canteen, and


this has hindered the establishment of a healthy school canteen

● Partnerships with the authorities, such as the local Public Health


Center and the local Education office, which may provide guidance and
supervision, are lacking

● The structure of the canteen management and the supervisory team for
the canteen menus have not been established

● The canteen's location is within the perimeter of the house of the canteen’s
owner

64 SEAMEO RECFON
Steps Taken

Developing a school canteen requires substantial funds and other resources, yet the
existing resources are usually prioritized for other needs. Therefore, our school has
adopted a short-term policy focusing on nutrition education programs for the students
by:

1. Engaging some teachers in Training-for-trainer (TOT) activities which are related


to nutrition and health for adolescents

2. Providing socialization of the output of the TOT activities to other teachers

3. Discussing the importance of a school canteen that provides safe, healthy, and
nutritious food and beverages through:

● Socialization sessions for the teachers during regular meetings


● Socialization sessions for the students during the teaching of relevant
subjects and other activities outside the class
4. Reminding the school community of the importance of having breakfast regularly

5. Conducting a cooking and poster-making contest on the theme of balanced


nutrition

6. Persuading the external canteen’s manager to provide safe, healthy, and


nutritious food and beverages

Results Achieved

1. Our school regularly conducts a breakfast program together with the


school community at least once a month (generally on the 17th day of
each month)

2. The school community has started to regularly bring food and beverages
from home for lunch. This is particularly evident in those who perceive
that the food and beverages sold at the external canteens around the
school are unsafe and unhealthy

3. We continuously educate the school community on nutrition and health


as an additional flagship program of our school

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 65


Follow-Up Plans

The next steps to be taken are:

1. To establish partnerships with the local relevant agencies (e.g. the Public
Health Center, the Education office)

2. To train the managers of the external canteens to improve the quality of


food sold there. This kind of trainings can be delivered by the staff from
the nearby Public Health Center at the request of our school

3. To create a structure of management or a working group responsible for


the management and supervision of the external canteens

4. To develop a proposal for the establishment of our own school canteen

Manfaat Kantin Sehat Sekolah terhadap Citra Sekolah

The realization of a healthy school canteen is the achievement of the overall school
community. It may also involve other parties, such as parents, the alumni, business
sector, and other relevant agencies. The school principal is a key person in this
effort. Undeniably, the realization of a healthy school canteen will bring benefits
in the future, which may become a benchmark for success of a school principal,
such as:

1. To establish partnerships with the local relevant agencies (e.g. the Public Health
Center, the Education office)

2. To train the managers of the external canteens to improve the quality of food
sold there. This kind of trainings can be delivered by the staff from the nearby
Public Health Center at the request of our school

3. To create a structure of management or a working group responsible for the


management and supervision of the external canteens

4. To develop a proposal for the establishment of our own school canteen

66 SEAMEO RECFON
BP 7: Highlighting the Need for Safe, Healthy, and Nutritious Food from
the School Canteen for School community

Background

In addition to meeting the students’ nutritional needs and developing their character,
the school canteen functions as an economic business unit. The operation of a school
canteen depends on the availability of food and demand from customers. The saying
that “a customer is a king” indicates that the canteen manager should offer food which
suits the customers’ taste. If customers are satisfied, it is likely that the school canteen
can increase sales and gain more profits.

Nevertheless, the concept of a healthy school canteen which revolves around the
provision of safe, healthy, and nutritious food to create long-term impacts on health
does not seem to be fully understood by the community, who opts for “cheap and
also tasty” foods and beverages. Safe, healthy, and nutritious food is often perceived
to be expensive. Such an assumption may hinder the progress of a healthy school
implementation as it may reduce customer traffic to the canteen.

Therefore, the school needs to take an initiative to increase the understanding of the
school community and the society regarding safe, healthy, and nutritious food and the
roles of a school canteen in providing foods which meet health requirements. Using the
DEPPIS (Demand, Supply, Policy, and Information System) framework in the Nutrition
Goes to School (NGTS) program by SEAMEO RECFON, demand for safe, healthy and
nutritious food should be encouraged among the school community, particularly the
students.

Challenges and Early Conditions

The implementation of a healthy school canteen will never be free from issues and
obstacles. Our school’s foundation has sustained various challenges in managing
different educational levels of schools, ranging from kindergarten to high school. Issues
and obstacles arise, given the various socio-economic backgrounds of the students, the

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 67


number of students, and the different environments they live in Jabodetabek (Jakarta,
Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi ).

One of the obstacles highlighted is the quality of the food menu at our school canteen. It
is a classical issue when the foods sold do not apply the principle of balanced nutrition.
The one-dish meals often found at the school canteen are a set of rice and side dish
(fried chicken), fried rice, fried noodle, and other meals without vegetables.

Meanwhile, the Guidelines for Healthy Canteen Management stipulate that the canteen
manager shall provide vegetables in every one-dish meal. Whenever the school’s
management confronted the canteen manager regarding the food menu, the typical
answers given by the canteen manager were:

● The existing food menu suits the customers’ taste


● Vegetables were previously served, but the students would usually set the
vegetables aside or throw them away. Thus, the canteen manager chose to
remove the vegetables from the menu, instead of wasting them.

Steps Taken

The efforts we made to influence the demand factor include performing supervision
and education on nutrition and health. We hope that increasing students’ knowledge
will lead to a behavioral change so that they will choose nutritious and healthy food at
the school canteen.

We understand that providing knowledge of the students must be done comprehensively


and continuously. The students’ knowledge on nutrition gained at school should also
be revised at home and vice versa. Therefore, we provide guidance and education not
only for the students but also for the teachers and the students’ parents.

The guidance and education performed are:

68 SEAMEO RECFON
For the Students:

1. Integrating the materials on balanced nutrition and health into various


subjects at school

2. Incorporating the materials on balanced nutrition in the “Peer Educator”


training on health for junior-senior level students

3. Incorporating the materials on nutrition in the Life Skill Education


materials for the elementary students

4. Incorporating the materials on the healthy school canteen in the program


of Students as Health Assistants

5. Developing various EIC materials, such as posters and merchandises


containing health messages, especially nutrition, and putting them up at
many locations

6. Creating an intervention program for overweight-obese children at the


elementary school level by involving the students and their parents/family

For the Teachers:

1. Increasing the knowledge of the school health program teachers on


balanced nutrition through periodical coaching and trainings

2. Holding discussions on the guidance and supervision of the school


canteen during the coordination meetings for the school health teachers
in each semester

3. Conducting seminars on nutrition and health for all the school principals
and vice principals from the kindergarten level to the senior high school
level, as well as the structural officers at the school’s foundation

4. Organizing visits to the hospitals which have specific nutrition programs


to be attended by the teachers responsible for the overweight-obese
children at the elementary level

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 69


For the Parents:

1. Conducting a seminar on “the Importance of Balanced Nutrition for Child


Growth and Development” for parents from the kindergarten level to the
senior high school level

2. Involving the parents of overweight-obese elementary students in family


sports activities as part of the pilot intervention project

Results Achieved

The roles of teachers:

1. Delivering materials on nutrition and health to increase students’


awareness and stimulate them to change their eating habits according to
the principles of balanced nutrition

2. Performing daily regular supervision of the canteen by providing


feedback, either directly to the canteen manager or through the Building
Management Department (the department handling the canteen’s
facilities and utilities)

3. Completing the canteen supervision questionnaire regularly as a basis of


evaluation for improving the canteen

4. Becoming role models for students in choosing nutritious food at the


school canteen

By providing guidance and educational activities in implementing the healthy school


canteen, we managed to optimize the involvement of various parties, including the
teachers, the students, and the parents.

70 SEAMEO RECFON
The roles of students:

1. Providing input for the school canteen to the school health program
teachers through the program of Students as Health Assistants

2. Completing the canteen supervision questionnaire regularly as a basis of


evaluation for improving the canteen

roles of parents:

3. Developing the students’ habit of choosing nutrition-balanced food at


home and at the school canteen

4. Providing input to the school for improving the school canteen


management

D Canteen Supervision and Guidance System

BP 8: School Canteen Working Group to Supervise and Protect Consumers

Background

Supervision and guidance on the canteen management are vital for the operation of
a school canteen. The supervision and guidance shall be performed by the canteen
manager and the food handlers. An internal school canteen guiding and supervisory
team, which usually consists of the school teachers and/or employees, is required.
Meanwhile, external guidance and supervision shall be performed by the local Public
Health Center and the Education Office. The internal guiding and supervisory team
usually receives periodical training and guidance from the Public Health Center (PHC)
and/or the Education Office. Furthermore, the internal and external supervisory teams

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 71


should work hand in hand from time to time to determine the work programs and their
respective roles and responsibilities.

A Public Health Center in Indonesia is a unit responsible for implementing health


development in a given area. Offering the first level of health services, the Public Health
Center shall provide health services comprehensively, integrally, and continuously,
covering individual and health services. As part of health development activities, the
Public Health Center also performs the public health promotional efforts.

The cross-program role of the Public Health Center, such as health and environmental
promotions, usually entails collaboration with schools to intervene and provide health
counseling to the students, teachers, and other elements of the school community
regarding hygienic and healthy lifestyle at school, including issues on the healthy
school canteen.

Challenges and Early Conditions

In performing their guiding and supervising role, health personnel from the local
Public Health Center would visit the school to share knowledge and provide guidance
on health in general. From the visits, it turns out that these guiding and supervising
roles cannot be undertaken alone by the Public Health Center staff as the external
team; instead, it should be supported by an internal team. As the local PHC has limited
personnel, they cannot monitor the operation of the school canteen every day.

Steps Taken

During the periodical visits by the local PHC, our school and the PHC established a school
canteen working group through the Intra-School Student Organization. Members of
the working group are students of grades VII and VIII, totaling 16 students from 16
classes. The roles and responsibilities of the working group are performed under the
guidance of a coordinating teacher.

The members of the canteen working group had been trained before performing their
duties. The training materials were presented by the local PHC team and the school’s
guiding team, covering various topics, such as hygienic lifestyle and the healthy

72 SEAMEO RECFON
school canteen. The canteen working group has been authorized to participate in the
formulation of the healthy canteen’s procedures and operations.

The aim to establish the canteen working group is to have a consumer protection
and individual supervision team that ensures consumers’ convenience and safety in
obtaining clean, healthy, and halal snacks.

Results Achieved

Aligning with the school's commitment to developing a healthy school canteen, our
school has identified the focus of supervision to be carried out by the canteen working
group, as follows:

● monitoring the physical appearance of tenants


● monitoring the types of food, beverages, and snacks (i.e. making sure
that there is no striking color or pungent smell and that they look fresh
and safe for consumption)
● checking the methods in serving food and beverages (e.g. if styrofoam
and/or a plastic container is used) to meet our school’s commitment to
reducing garbage
● checking the use of additional ingredients, such as ice cubes, sauce, and
coloring and flavoring agents

To support the role of supervision performed by the canteen working group, our school
has also implemented the procedures for canteen vendors/tenants as follows:

1. Food or beverages delivery must be done before or after school hours in


the school’s backyard
2. The vehicles should be parked in the provided area
3. Smoking is prohibited on the school premises
4. Vendors/tenants must dress in a neat, clean, and polite manner

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 73


5. Food or beverages sold must:
● Not be the foods and beverages prohibited from selling by the
government
● Not yet be expired
● Not contain melamine
● Not contain formalin
● Be packed in a good condition
● Be clean and healthy
● Be sold at affordable prices

To achieve sustainability, the canteen working group is assisted by another party,


which is the hygiene working group that is tasked with disposing of and sorting out the
garbage.

The results of the monitoring activities are recorded, analyzed, and then discussed with
the coordinating teacher. Next, the findings are submitted monthly to the canteen’s
management, the principal, and the PHC to be followed up with coaching.

On February 17, 2016, the local PHC provided counseling on creating a healthy
environment for the food handlers at the school canteen. This activity aimed to
increase their knowledge and understanding regarding the food hygiene and sanitation
regulations at the school canteen. It is expected that any foods processed and served
by food handlers are safe for consumption.

Follow-Up Plans

Our next agenda is to collaborate with the relevant agencies, such as the National
Agency of Drug and Food Control and the Council of Indonesian Ulema, to implement
a healthy and halal canteen. Every vendor at the school canteen should receive training
and have an understanding of the hygienic, healthy, and halal canteen. If necessary,
every vendor and canteen staff should obtain a hygienic, healthy, and halal canteen
certification.

74 SEAMEO RECFON
Punishment should be enforced on any violations against the canteen procedures,
ranging from a verbal warning, a written warning, to a termination of lease/contract
of the school canteen. This is important as the canteen’s consumers and the overall
school community have the rights to receive proper services and protection.

BP 9: Hygiene and Sanitation Training from the Academics for School


Canteen Food Vendors

Background and Challenges

Generally, in Indonesia, food vendors at the school canteen obtain only a low level of
formal education. Their knowledge on food processing is usually gained from their
friends, parents, or family. They are typically able to identify the types of food favored
by students, choose raw ingredients, prepare food, store food, process food, and serve
food. However, only a few vendors have the knowledge and capability to produce food
which meets the food safety regulation.

Another issue is the quality of the food ingredients used. Many of them fail to meet the
health requirements, for example, selling food which contains hazardous chemicals,
such as formalin, borax, heavy metal, or textile dye. Ideally, food vendors must be well-
informed about the types of hazardous chemicals or any food ingredients that may be
potentially contaminated by hazardous chemicals and their impact on health.

Some other food vendors have received training on the safety of foods and beverages.
However, such training is usually not followed up with further practice and, thus, does
not offer continuous learning. This is due to the lack of support and commitment
from the school regarding training activities. Therefore, the whole school community,
including the principal and the teachers in charge of the school canteen, need to receive
similar training so that they all will have a shared vision on the importance of a healthy
canteen.

In the implementation, the topics may differ between the training for the school
teachers and the one for the food vendors. Nevertheless, as a basic rule, the materials

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 75


must sufficiently equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills in producing
healthy and hygienic food at the canteen.

Academics teaching at a college, university, or polytechnic are stakeholders who bear


a certain mission in public education, training, and development in various fields,
including food, nutrition and health. Therefore, they may be involved in the canteen
development, particularly to provide training and counseling in collaboration with the
local PHC and the local Agency of Drug and Food Control.

Steps Taken

1. Contacting academic institutions nearby the school which have competence in


food, nutrition, and health topics.
2. Identifying the topics needed

● Roles of the school canteen


● Types of food hazards: bacteria, microbes, hazardous chemicals, physical
hazards
● The health effects of consuming contaminated food
● Food safety and hygiene: food selection, preparation, storage, and serving
● Individual hygiene of the food handlers and vendors
● Roles of the school canteen in character building, health education, and
student’s health status

3. Identifying the number of participants to attend the training. The number of


participants would affect the learning media, learning tools, and space needed. To
ensure a two-way communication during the training, the maximum number of
participants shall be 20 people.

4. Determining the learning tools and media. As food handlers generally lack formal
education, it might be better to use attractive educational media, such as colorful
posters and brochures with capital letters or colored images. The PHC usually has
educational tools that can be utilized during the training and counseling.

76 SEAMEO RECFON
5. Agreeing on the schedule of the training. The duration is usually 2-3 hours, possibly
after office hours. Alternatively, the training can be conducted during their working
hours, yet they should receive compensation for leaving their work.

6. Appointing the training personnel. Lecturers or teaching staff are competent


persons in providing training. College students who have completed a particular
studying period may also become the trainers. The training can be carried out as
part of a community service program or as a public development activity.

7. Encouraging participation in discussions during the training. Food vendors with


low formal education may be reluctant or shy to ask questions, so the trainers
should stimulate discussions by asking questions or raising issues through games
or brainstorming activities.

8. Conducting an evaluation. Some critical questions in the form of right or wrong


statements or multiple choices may be asked to the participants before (pre-
test) or after the training materials are given (post-test). This is to understand the
effectiveness of the training in increasing the knowledge of the food vendors.

Results Achieved

It turned out that most of the food vendors received that kind of training for the first
time. They felt appreciated when they were given a training certificate and involved in
the healthy canteen development activities.

After the training session, they realized that their unhygienic behavior must be changed.
The improvement in behavior showed by the food vendors includes:

● using an apron
● maintaining personal hygiene
● washing hands with soap after using the toilet
● using clean cooking utensils
● avoiding environmental contamination

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 77


● using safe ingredients (free from hazardous chemicals)
● using clean and safe food containers
● storing and serving food properly

In addition to maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation, some of the food vendors
required new utensils, such as:

● aprons
● tongs
● a sufficient quantity of clean rags to be replaced every day
● plastic or other containers to cover the food and beverages

However, they also pointed out some obstacles in improving their behavior, which
were mainly related to the existing facilities at the canteen. This problem requires the
school’s direct role. Thus, after the training, the school needed to provide:

● hygienic and sufficient water supply to wash hands, clean the cooking
utensils, and clean up the canteen area
● easily cleaned cabinets for storing cooking utensils
● transparent food display cabinets or food containers with covers for
serving food at the school canteen

Further Activities

Refreshment training is necessary to be conducted every once in six months. Although


the food handlers or vendors may possibly be replaced by new personnel, it is an
effort to motivate the previous food handlers and vendors to keep practicing hygienic
behavior.

78 SEAMEO RECFON
On the other hand, food retailers and street vendors selling food outside the school
often pose a challenge. Nevertheless, the school’s commitment to developing a healthy
canteen should also involve these external food providers, for example, by providing
similar training and counseling for those food retailers and street vendors. This way,
this activity can strengthen the commitment of the overall school community and the
neighborhood.

BP 10: The Role of the Public Health Center in Providing Guidance on


Food Safety and School Healthy Canteen

Roles of the Public Health Center

As set out in the Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 13 of 2015 on the
Implementation of Environmental Health Services at the Public Health Center (PHC), it
plays a role in performing activities related to environmental health, such as counseling,
environmental health inspections, and/or environmental health interventions. In
particular, the school canteen is one of the PHC 's priorities in providing environmental
health services.

The PHC is an extension of the Health Department in food safety supervision at the
school level. Therefore, any activities carried out by the PHC should be aligned with
the activities of the Health Department. The PHC also acts as a guiding team (external
supervisor) of the food safety at school in its working area to prevent food poisoning
at school.

Activities Performed

The activities performed by the Public Health Center are as follows:

1. Monitoring the level of hygiene and sanitation at the school canteen

2. Giving education and guidance to canteen vendors on food hygiene,


sanitation, and healthy food

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 79


3. Giving education and guidance to students, teachers, and the school’s
staff on balanced nutrition and food safety

4. Conducting trainings for the program of Students as Health Assistants

5. Inspecting any snacks or foods which are indicated to contain dangerous


food additives, such as formalin, borax, metanil yellow, and rhodamine B

6. Sending the food samples suspected of containing dangerous chemicals


and bacteria to the regional health laboratory for inspection

7. Guiding the students in choosing food through direct inspections of


snacks and foods which are indicated to contain dangerous food additives

8. Guiding the school canteen vendors that sell food containing dangerous
additives

9. Organizing a healthy school canteen contest

10. Running a food safety program with a 1-star award

Challenges

Due to the limited human resources and funds, the guidance and supervision by the
Health Department or the Public Health Center cannot be performed simultaneously
at all schools every year. Thus, the guidance and supervision are performed by rotation
based on the working area. It takes approximately 2-3 years for the Public Health Center
to supervise all schools located within its working area. Unfortunately, food poisoning
may occur at any time due to poor hygiene practices in food processing.

The challenges often faced by the Public Health Center officers in performing supervision
and guidance activities are:

1. The external food retailers and street vendors are often moving around,
making it difficult to guide and monitor them.

80 SEAMEO RECFON
2. If there is food indicated to contain dangerous food additives from the
market, it is necessary to find the source. However, due to the limited
human resources, this step is not yet taken as the Public Health Center
officers must also carry out their guidance and supervision duties in other
areas.

3. In the case of food suspected to contain illegal food additives, the source
is usually outside of the responsibility of regional authorities. Hence,
there is no authority who can intervene, making it difficult to perform
cross-border coordination.

Collaboration with Other Parties

The roles of guidance and supervision over the school canteen operation should be
understood and performed collectively by all relevant parties.

The school principal holds a key role in establishing an internal guiding and supervisory
team consisting of the school teachers and/or employees who have received adequate
training on the healthy school canteen. The school may independently act on any
failure in the supervision of the school canteen, while waiting for visitation from the
Public Health Center. If there is a deviation from the requirements, the school shall
provide guidance according to its capability through the internal team.

Another relevant agency in addition to the Public Health Center and the Health
Department is the Education Department. The regional government also plays a role
in issuing regulations and sanctions relevant to the health interest of the general
public. At the household level, parents and the surrounding communities also need to
be equipped with the basic knowledge on food safety and hygiene. The collaboration
between all of those parties should provide a sound basis for students in choosing
safe, healthy, and nutritious food and snacks.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 81


Roles of the Health Department and the
Roles of the Education Department
Public Health Center

1. Food supervision 1. Provision of the canteen facilities


2. Supervision of the cooking and 2. Formation of a food safety team at
eating utensils the school level
3. Supervision of the use of Personal 3. Recruitment of the food vendors
Protective Equipment (PPE) 4. Selection of the types of food offered
4. Supervision of waste and garbage 5. Supervision of the canteen operation
5. Supervision of vectors 6. Guidance for the human resources
6. Supervision of the implementation of managing the canteen
hygienic and healthy behavior
7. Guidance for the school community

Any guidance and supervision activities at the school canteen should be performed
continuously by involving all parties in order to meet the set expectations, which are
the provision and consumption of safe, healthy, and nutritious food for the school
community, particularly the students as the nation’s future generation.

E Partnerships

BP 11: Increasing the Awareness of Food Vendors through Collaboration


with the Academics and the Health Department

Background

Competent human resources constitute one of the four pillars of a healthy school
canteen, yet many schools still face a shortage of capable human resources. Generally,
the canteen manager lacks the understanding of the basic principles of food safety,
environmental hygiene and sanitation, and balanced nutrition.

The school definitely cannot address those issues alone. As an educational institution,
the school can seek collaboration opportunities with the relevant and competent
parties to provide guidance and supervision for the canteen management regularly.

82 SEAMEO RECFON
Challenges and Early Conditions

Our school is located on the village's outskirts, situated between the teak wood and
sugar cane plantation in the northeast of Malang District. Our school area spans across
± 5 hectares, with 1,234 students. Given the considerable number of students, our
school’s facilities and utilities are still considered inadequate, including the school
canteen facility. The size of our school canteen is ± 72 m². It consists of four stalls with
a size of 2x3 m² each. The buildings are made of fine walls and ceramic floors. The
canteen is located away from other buildings, including the toilet, the restroom, and
the garbage bin, but it is connected to a large yard.

Originally, our school canteen only provided fast food, beverages, and snacks to fulfill
the students' needs, so the canteen vendors were recruited without any selection
health criteria. They commonly came from the village around the school. Generally
being simple-minded, they did not understand any adverse health effects of unhealthy
food, beverages, and snacks. They could only think about the strategy to sell as many
products as possible to obtain as much profit as possible.

At that time, our school did not set any regulations regarding the quality of the food
and beverages sold at the canteen. We only prohibited the canteen vendor from selling
similar products to avoid unfair competition.

Steps Taken

Our school finally realized the urgency to improve the school canteen. The first step
taken was providing training and guidance on relevant topics in collaboration with
several institutions, such as SEAMEO RECFON, the State Health Polytechnic of Malang,
and the Health Department Office of Malang District.

During the training and guidance sessions, a lot of materials were delivered to the
food vendors. Initially, it was hard for the vendors to change their way of thinking.
However, with the help of students, we kept supporting, reminding, and monitoring
their progress.

The school and the canteen vendors also entered into an agreement with a number
of specific clauses. If there is a violation (e.g. food vendors still selling the prohibited
food), then the school will inflict the following punishments:

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 83


● First violation: Issuing a verbal warning
● Second violation: Issuing a warning letter (i.e. the relevant food vendor
shall write a statement that she/he will no longer sell the prohibited food)
● Third violation: Terminating the contract

Results Achieved

After receiving education and attending training from competent institutions, the
canteen vendors can now understand the types of food that is allowed and not allowed
to be consumed by the students.

Their renewed understanding has convinced them to start providing healthier and
nutritious food and beverages. They began to provide selected snacks, such as
traditional snacks unknown to most students as they tend to prefer packaged snacks.
The canteen vendors also started to sell non-carbonated, non-strongly flavored, non-
strikingly colorful beverages. Besides, they no longer serve fast food, such as instant
noodles. To provide freshly made food, the canteen vendors cook and process the food
directly at their stall. Thus, the food can be consumed by customers immediately. The
vendors also pay attention to the canteen’s hygiene by separating the packaged food
from freshly made or ready-to-eat food. To serve the food, they use clean equipment,
such as tongs and lids for ready-to-eat food.

However, there is always a possibility that the vendors will resume their previous
behavior (i.e. selling prohibited food and beverages). Therefore, the school should
always monitor and remind them of the concluded agreement. Our school performs
regular monitoring at least once a month, assisted by well-trained students. At our
school, we uphold the slogan of “ASIK” (an acronym in Bahasa Indonesia which translates
as Active, Healthy, Smart, and Creative), which is an output of prior research conducted
in collaboration with SEAMEO RECFON. The students are trained to be health agents
who are responsible for inspecting the food, beverages, and snacks sold at the school
canteen once a week.

84 SEAMEO RECFON
Follow-Up Plans

To ensure the continuous guidance of the school canteen and to meet the healthy
school canteen standards, in the future, our school intends to increase collaboration
with the State Health Polytechnic of Malang and the local Public Health Center in
maintaining regular guidance and supervision over our school canteen.

Towards a Healthy School Canteen: A Collection of Best Practices 85


86 SEAMEO RECFON
References

1. Directorate of Elementary School Guidance, Directorate General of Elementary


and Secondary Education, Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of
Indonesia. 2016. Guidelines for the Operation of Healthy Canteen at Elementary
School. Pedoman Penyelenggaraan Kantin Sehat di Sekolah Dasar

2. Government Regulation No. 32 of 2013 on National Education Standards

3. Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 1168/Menkes/


Per/X/1999 on Food Additives

4. SEAMEO RECFON & Ministry of Education and Culture. 2016. The Book “Gizi dan
Kesehatan Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar.”

5. National Agency for Drug and Food Control. 2012. The Book “Keamanan Pangan di
Kantin Sekolah”.

6. Directorate of Mother and Child Nutrition and Health Guidance, Ministry of Health
of the Republic of Indonesia. 2011. Pedoman Keamana Pangan di Sekolah Dasar.

7. Directorate General of Elementary Education, Ministry of National Education of


the Republic of Indonesia. 2011. Menuju Kantin Sehat di Sekolah.

8. SEAMEO RECFON & Ministry of Education and Culture. 2016. The Book “Gizi dan
Kesehatan untuk Remaja”.

9. Regulation of the Ministry of Health No. 41 of 2014 on Guidelines for Balanced


Nutrition

10. Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 75 of 2013
on Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indonesian People. Downloaded on 30
August 2018. http://gizi.depkes.go.id/pgs-2014-2

11. Health Research and Development Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Republic
of Indonesia. 2014. Buku Foto Makanan: Survei Konsumsi Makanan Individu.

12. The Ministry of Education and Culture, 2014. 2014. Menuju Kantin Sehat di Sekolah.

13. Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 13 of 2015 on Conduct of Environmental


Health Service at the Public Health Center

References 87
14. Chrismawati M, Misbahul Munir, Putri Wijayanti. 2014. Uji Aditif pada Makanan dan
Minuman. http://pewea.blogspot.com/2014/08/v- behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html.
Accessed on 23 September 2018

15. Enno. 2013. Cara Efektif Mengumpulkan Dana untuk Kepentingan Pembangungan
Pendidikan dan Sosial Keagamaan. Accessed from http://ennovialk.blogspot.
com/2013/04/cara-efektif-mengumpulkan-dana- untuk.html. Accessed on 23
September 2018

16. Decree of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 942/Menkes/SK/
VII/2003. Guidelines for Snack Food Hygiene and Sanitation Requirements.

17. Directorate of Food Safety Surveillance and Counseling, Deputy III, National Agency
for Drug and Food Control of the Republic of Indonesia. 2012. The Book “Piagam
Bintang Keamanan Pangan Kantin Sekolah”.

18. Almatsier, Sunita. 2009. Prinsip Dasar Ilmu Gizi. Jakarta: PT.Gramedia Pustaka
Utama.

88 SEAMEO RECFON
Appendix

Appendix 89
Appendix 1

Guidelines and Books Relevant to the Healthy School Canteen

The download links should be specific to the PDF file of the book concerned. It is
necessary to include the RECFON module book, either the Elementary School or the
Teenager one.

No Title Agency Year

1 The Book “Gizi dan Kesehatan SEAMEO RECFON & Ministry of 2016
untuk Remaja” Education and Culture

2 The Book “Gizi dan Kesehatan SEAMEO RECFON & Ministry of 2016
Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar” Education and Culture

3 Guidelines for the Operation of Directorate of Elementary School 2016


Healthy Canteen at Elementary Guidance, Directorate General of
School Elementary and Secondary Education,
Ministry of Education and Culture of
the Republic of Indonesia.

4 The Book “Panduan Higiene Directorate General of Public Health of 2016


Sanitasi Pangan di Sekolah the Directorate of Environmental Health
dengan Metode Partisipatori”

5 Training Modules for Facilitators Directorate General of Public Health of 2016


of Increased Food Hygiene and the Directorate of Environmental Health
Sanitation at School

90 SEAMEO RECFON
No Title Agency Year

6 The Book “Pedoman Pangan National Agency of Drug and Food


Jajanan Anak Sekolah untuk Control of the Republic of Indonesia 2013
Pencapaian Gizi Seimbang
(Orang Tua, Guru, Pengelola
Kantin)”

7 The Book “Keamanan Pangan di National Agency for Drug and Food
Kantin Sekolah” Control of the Republic of Indonesia 2012

8 The Book “Pedoman Pangan National Agency for Drug and Food 2012
Jajanan Anak Sekolah tentang Control of the Republic of Indonesia
Cemaran”

9 The Book “Pedoman Pangan National Agency for Drug and Food 2012
Jajanan Anak Sekolah untuk Control of the Republic of Indonesia
Penggunaan Bahan Tambahan
Pangan”

10 The book “Menuju Kantin Sehat Directorate General of Elementary 2011


Sekolah” Education, Ministry of National
Education

11 Guidelines for Food Safety at Directorate of Mother and Child 2011


Elementary School Nutrition and Health Guidance, Ministry
of Health of the Republic of Indonesia

Appendix 91
Appendix 2

Procedures for Simple Testing of Food Samples

Some additives prohibited from use in food are boric acid and sodium tetraborate
decahydrate (borax), formalin, and benzoic acid. Procedures to perform simple tests
for borax, formalin, and benzoic acid, are as follows:

Tools and Materials

Tools

1. Mortar 6. Drop Plate


2. Test Tube 7. Beaker
3. Graduated Cylinder 8. Pipette
4. Clamp 9. Filter paper
5. Stirring Rod 10. Erlenmeyer Flask

Materials

1. Aquades 10. Cracker


2. Meatball 11. Turmeric extract
3. Sausage 12. Formalin
4. Instant Noodle 13. Borax
5. Salty Fish 14. Glacial acetic acid (CH3COOH)
6. Tofu 15. KMnO7
7. Sauce 16. FeCl3
8. Canteen noodle 17. NaOH
9. Packed tea 18. NH3

92 SEAMEO RECFON
Work Method

Borax Test

1. Take a sample from the food ingredient for testing.


2. Put each food in two points on the drop plate.
3. Add 5 drops of turmeric extract to the first food.
4. Add 5 drops of the borax solution to the second food.
5. Observe the color change in the food.
6. If the food which the borax solution is dropped changes color to red or deep red,
it means the food contains borax.

Formalin Test

1. Boil a sample from the food ingredient for testing.


2. Split the boiled water from the food ingredients into 2 test tubes.
3. Insert 2 ml of each solution into the test tube.
4. Heat the first solution for 1 - 2 minutes while adding 5 drops of acetic acid glacial
(CH3COOH) and 5 drops of KMnO7, respectively.
5. Add 5 drops of formalin into the second solution.
6. Observe the changes occurring in each solution.
7. If there is any dark deposit in the solution to which the formalin is dropped, it
means the food contains formalin.

Benzoic Test

1. Insert 5 ml of beverage into the test tube.


2. Add 5 drops of NaOH and 5 drops of NH3 to the beverage.
3. Boil the solution above the erlenmeyer flask and hold it using the test tube
clamp.
4. Filter the solution using the filter paper.
5. Add 5 drops of FeCl3 into the filtered solution.
6. Observe the changes occurring in each solution.
7. If there is a salmon deposit formed on the solution, it means the beverage
contains benzoic.

Source: Chrismawati, 2014

Appendix 93
Appendix 3

94
Table of Indonesia’s Recommended Dietary Allowances for School-Aged Children and Adolesecents

Fat (g)
Weight Height Energy Protein Carbohydrate Fiber Water Vitamin A Vitamin D

SEAMEO RECFON
Age Group
(kg) (cm) (kcal) (g) (g) (g) (mL) (mcg) (mcg)
Total n-6 n- 3

Children

7-9 years 27 130 1.850 49 72 100 9 254 26 1.900 500 15

Boys

10-12 years 34 142 2.100 56 70 120 12 289 30 1.800 600 15

13-15 years 46 158 2.475 72 83 160 16 340 35 2.000 600 15

16-18 years 56 165 2.675 66 89 160 16 368 37 2.200 600 15

Girls

10-12 years 36 145 2.000 60 67 100 10 275 28 1.800 600 15

13-15 years 46 155 2.125 69 71 110 11 292 30 2.000 600 15

16-18 years 50 158 2.125 59 71 110 11 292 30 2.100 600 15


Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin
Folic Biotin Choline
Age Group E K B1 B2 B3 B5 B6 B12 C
(mcg) (mcg) (mg)
(mg) (mcg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mcg) (mg)

Children

7- 9 years 7 25 9 11 10 30 10 300 12 12 375 45

Boys

10-12 years 11 35 11 13 12 40 13 400 18 20 375 50

13-15 years 12 55 12 15 14 50 13 400 24 25 550 75

16-18 years 15 55 13 16 15 50 13 400 24 30 550 90

Girls

10-12 years 11 35 10 12 11 40 12 400 18 20 375 50

13-15 years 15 55 11 13 12 50 12 400 24 25 400 65

16-18 years 15 55 11 13 12 50 12 400 24 30 425 75

Appendix
95
Calcium Phosphor Magnesium Sodium Potassium Manganese Copper Chromium Ferrum Iodine Zinc Selenium Fluorine

96
Age Group
(mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mcg) (mcg) (mg) (mcg) (mg) (mcg) (mg)

Children

7-9 years 1.000 500 120 1.200 4.500 17 570 20 10 120 11 20 1.2

SEAMEO RECFON
Boys

10-12
1.200 #### 150 1.500 4.500 19 700 25 13 120 14 20 1.7
years

13-15
1.200 #### 200 1.500 4.700 22 800 30 19 150 18 30 2.4
years

16-18
1.200 #### 250 1.500 4.700 23 890 35 15 150 17 30 2.7
years

Girls

10-12
1.200 #### 155 1.500 4.500 16 700 21 20 120 13 20 1.9
years

13-15
1.200 #### 200 1.500 4.500 16 800 22 26 150 16 30 2.4
years

16-18
1.200 #### 220 1.500 4.700 16 890 24 26 150 14 30 2.5
years

Source: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2013


Appendix 4

Fundraising activity ideas or resources for the development of school


canteen

The following are several activity ideas or resources that can be performed to raise
funds for the school canteen development:

1. Holding a seminar

This is one of the easiest methods to be performed at school. Through seminars or


activities related to religious affairs, we may perform the fundraising for canteen
development. This activity may also expand the knowledge of the participants. To invite
more, we can send invitations, noting that we are doing fundraising, to the community
around the school. Meanwhile, to be more appealing, we can invite guest speakers,
such as well-known local figures, to attend the seminar

2. Holding an art activity/event

This is an effective method to be implemented for raising funds. We can do art


performances in the form of dances, poems, songs, theaters, or film screenings. For
this event, we need to pick an appropriate theme. For example, if we plan to raise
funds for educational activities, we can apply an educational theme for poems and
theaters. At the end of the event, fundraising will become the main event.

3. Holding a bazaar

For this activity, we can ask teachers, school staffs, parents/guardians of the students,
and communities around the school to donate their belongings, such as used or old
clothes, to the school. These items then can be sold to raise funds. The more items are
donated, the more funds are collected.

Appendix 97
4. Submitting a fundraising proposal to a particular institution

This is also an alternative way to raise funds. We can start preparing a proposal to be
submitted to sponsoring institutions. We can also collaborate with organizations or
companies for raising funds. Then, we need to present the proposal to the representation
of the organization or company, explaining the details of the activity, including how
the event would benefit the target group as well as the sponsoring organization or
company. In the proposal, the rights and obligations of each party should be briefly
described. The donation mechanism from the organization or the company can be in a
form of an immediate aid from the social funds (CSR – corporate social responsibility), or
from the deduction of each shopping transaction by the company’s consumers.

5. Submitting a request directly to potential donors

This technique is performed by sending mails to potential donors. The letter contains
a description of the planned activities, information about the school, and the proposed
donation payment mechanism. For example, we can give information on our account
number and a agreement form for the potential donors to fill in.

6. Telefundraising

This fundraising technique is performed by calling potential donors by phone. The call
is generally made as an effort to follow-up on the sent letter or the previous meetings.

7. Direct meeting

This fundraising technique is performed by direct contact with potential donors


through a dialog. We can also distribute brochures, leaflets, or other printouts to
support fundraising during the meetings.

98 SEAMEO RECFON
8. Sales cut

This fundraising activity may be implemented by collaborating with particular product


manufacturers in a certain period of time. The donation is in a form of donation
compensation for each product purchase. For example, each time a customer buys a
product of food A, then IDR2.000 shall be donated for the canteen development.

9. Fundraising event

A fundraising event is an activity commonly performed for social purposes, for example,
Leisure Walking for Raising Awareness, 10K Run, Leisure Cycling, etc. This event can be
conducted massively, with an affordable registration fee, and the sponsors shall incur
the activity implementation costs. The profit generated from this event is to be used for
a social program, in this regard, the development of the school canteen.

Adapted from: Enno, 2013

Appendix 99
Appendix 5
Example of an Organizational Structure of a School Canteen

School : _____________________________

Year : _____________________________

PIC of SCSS Safety Supervisor Coach


Team
Public Health
Principal Center Doctor

SCSS Implementer
Personnel

Head of SCSS/
Head Of School
Health Program

SCSS implementer SCSS implementer


personnel personnel

Senior members of scss Students (4 - 5


Teachers committee people)
Classes committee

SCSS implementer
personnel

Head of scss/
head of school
health program

100 SEAMEO RECFON


Roles of Head And Members
of The School Children Snack Safety (SCSS) Team

Roles of the School Principal As the Person-in-Charge

1. Ensuring that Food Safety is included in the school quality improvement program

2. Providing proper facilities, such as canteens, toilets, handwashing basins, and


garbage bins

3. Together with the school, developing policies and procedures to ensure the
canteen implements optimal food handling, processing, and serving practices.

4. Coordinating with the relevant agencies in the implementation of food safety at


school

5. Developing policies and procedures for documenting symptoms experienced by


the students when they are sick

6. Communicating to all school community the importance of complying with the


food safety requirements (through the school ceremony or other events)

7. Establishing the food safety management plan formed by the food safety team

8. Procuring/enrolling the food safety team in training programs related to food


safety

9. Encouraging the canteen manager to hold a hygiene and sanitation certification


from the District Health Office

10. Developing and signing a commitment, for example, HEBOH (Hygienic,


Economical, Clean, Home-Made, Halal) Canteen

11. Making a decree of canteen development and safety for the teachers, the
canteen vendors, or the students as part of the canteen safety’s task force.

Appendix 101
Roles of Head of SCSS

The Team Leader should:

1. Lead the team and be accountable to the school principal

2. Establish the targets for activity implementation

3. Responsible for food safety implementation to run properly and according to the
defined targets.

4. Evaluate food safety accomplishment.

5. Disseminate information to the parents, the canteen vendors, and the students

6. Invite resourceful speakersto expand the knowledge on canteen and healthy


snack forthe students’ consumption.

SCSS Senior Members (Teachers)

SCSS Senior Members should:

1. Lead the procurement of safe and nutritious food together with the parents and
the canteen vendors

2. Advise the students to always pick healthy snacks according to the defined
criteria, either the criteria of the vendor or the criteria of snacks offered

3. Actively participate in the development of the school canteen for a more


significant improvement regarding the canteen’s condition

4. Conduct training for the canteen vendors.

5. Perform an internal audit of the school canteen

6. Become the school canteen supervisor

102 SEAMEO RECFON


SCSS Junior Members (Students)

Junior Members (Students) should:

1. Help the SCSS senior members in the activity of procurement of safe and
nutritious food together with the parents and the canteen vendors

2. Advise the students to always pick healthy snacks according to the defined
criteria, either the criteria of the vendor or the criteria of snacks offered

3. Actively participate in the development of the school canteen for a more


significant improvement regarding the canteen’s condition

4. Become the school canteen supervisor

Roles of the Parents

1. Applying hygiene and sanitation by washing hands before handling foodto the
students and other family members

2. Prepare a lunch box for the students in a proper manner.

3. Identify the causes and symptoms of vector-borne diseases

4. Support policies at school

Roles of the Canteen Manager

1. Food vendors with an adequate food safety knowledge may prevent the
occurrence of food poisoning from the food sold at the school canteen.

2. By complying with the food safety practices, the school canteen manager may
protect the school community from health problems generated from food.

Appendix 103
Appendix 6

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q What are the indicators of a healthy canteen?

A Various relevant agencies have established various indicators to assess a healthy


canteen at the school level. The experience of SEAMEO RECFON in organizing
various workshops with the school, the canteen manager, and the Public Health
concludes key points related to the healthy canteen indicators. This indicator can
be adopted by the schools across Indonesia in accordance with the capability of
the schools. A table of indicators referring to the health standards is set out on
page 13 of this book.

Q What is the healthy canteen certificate and how to obtain it?

A A healthy Canteen Certificate is issued by the relevant government or the


competent institution in verifying the implementation of a healthy canteen,
whether it has been carried out properly according to the health standards. The
certificate may be issued after the school evaluation results show that healthy
canteen standard indicators have been adequately satisfied.

Q What are the effects of consuming unhygienic or unsafe food?

A In the short term, food containing borax and formalin may cause poisoning. It
may also cause cancer, damage to the kidney, body circulation system, and nerve
system in the long term. Synthetic food additives are also harmful if consumed
for a long time and in an exceeding dosage from the standard defined by the
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Agency for Drug
and Food Control.

104 SEAMEO RECFON


Q How to expand the knowledge of the school community regarding nutrition
and health?

A Knowledge on nutrition and health is essential for the students and other school
communities to motivate and improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, nutrition
topics are not yet included in the school curriculum, causing a lowexposure to
related information. Therefore, literatures on nutrition and health should be
made available at the school library in various types of media. The availability
of these literatures may facilitate the access to obtain relevant information
needed. The collaboration between the school, the local public health center, and
the academicians in receiving guidance may also be performed to expand the
knowledge of the school community regarding nutrition and health.

Q Is it necessary to provide a cash register at the cashier?

A Yes, because money may become a source of microorganism contamination.


Therefore, a cash register must be located away from the ready-to-eat window
display. The person who is on duty to be a cashier should not concurrently serve
food as a food handlers and/or waiter to avoid any contamination derived from
the money.

Q What are the characteristic of “unsafe” food?

A Unsafe food is food that may cause diseases. Packaged food and beverages,
particularly those with labels should be registered to the authorized institutions
in obtaining the distribution license. Food products with a distribution license
usually are easier to control and safe, as long as their packaging remains in good
condition and does not exceed the expiry date.

However, not all food and beverage products should be registered and have a
distribution license, for example, ready-to-eat food. Only packaged processed
food may require the registration license. However, the ready-to-eat products are
often found on the school premises and at home, e.g., cakes, cilok, jelly, flavored
ice, etc.

Appendix 105
Q Why do the school canteen operation need a supervision?

A The supervision of canteen activities at school is necessary. Various parties need


to acknowledge the implementation, the challenges, and proposed solutions to
address the issues of the school canteen. An effective supervision can generate a
collaborative effort to operate the school canteen according to plan.

Q How would the School Canteen supervision be implemented?

A The internal supervision shall be conducted regularly by the teachers or teams


appointed by the school principal. Meanwhile, the external supervision may
be performed through a collaboration between the school and the local public
health center.

106 SEAMEO RECFON


Appendix 107

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