Development of nutrition standards for the national school meal programme

By 2026, the Ministry of Education and Science, jointly with the Ministry of Education and the UN World Food Programme, will develop and implement nutrition standards based on national dietary guidelines and international recommendations, ensuring they align with the Strategy for Sustainable Development of School Meals (2017–2027) and the National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. The national nutrition standards will include menus and meals for the national school meal programme. A diverse group of stakeholders, including government ministries, nutrition experts, school administrators, parents and students will be engaged to ensure the standards are in coherence with up-to-date guidance and are practical, culturally appropriate and widely accepted. Nutrient requirements for school meals will be specified and enforced, ensuring adequate intake of essential nutrients while limiting unhealthy components, such as added sugars and salt.

The nutrition standards will be periodically reviewed and updated based on the latest scientific research evidence and feedback from stakeholders to keep the standards relevant and effective. Educational programs to teach children healthy eating habits and reinforce the importance of nutrition both in and out of school will also be ensured. The aim is to reduce the prevalence of obesity and overweight from 6% (World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative 2019) to 5% in 2030.