School students get free healthy meals

By Fahad Al Ghadani — MUSCAT: Feb. 26 - The government has launched a programme to provide healthy meals every day for the first circle (Classes 1 to 4) students in Muttrah, Al Huda and Bahjat al Ilm. The government is working closely with the private sector for the programme and ensuring the food distributed is hygienic. The trial programme was launched on February 12 in three schools: Muttrah School for Primary Education, Al Huda School for Primary Education and Bahjat Al Ilm School for Primary Education in Al Batinah North.

Based on comments made by the ministerial Food Safety Committee, these schools will benefit from the programme established by Public Authority for Stores and Food Reserve (PASFR). The collaboration between PASFR, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Oman Food Investment Holding, Oman Flour Mills and Atyab Investment to establish an “experimental programme” between the government and the private sector will focus on these schools until the end of the current semester. Daily meals will be distributed to students of these three schools, according to a statement made by PASFR. The statement, posted on the Facebook account of PASFR, came in for praise from the public.

“The meals will include sandwich made from brown bread, milk and cake,” it said. Oman Flour Mills is playing a key role in the project by sponsoring and delivering meals. In 2013, the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources made tremendous efforts in improving the quality of food in school canteens, including holding awareness campaigns among school students, besides visiting the food suppliers.