In order to ensure and maintain food safety and prevent food borne illnesses, TeacherPH is reiterating strict compliance of DepED Order No. 14, s. 2005.
In view of this, some of the salient provisions are emphasized with revisions which are not in conflict with the said DepED Order:
a. School children should be advised to buy food, water, and beverages only at the school canteen and be discouraged from going out of the campus.
b. School administrators should encourage parents through PTCA, to prepare packed snacks for their children to eat during recess time under the supervision of the class adviser.
c. All school canteens should have SANITARY PERMIT to be renewed yearly and should be posted strategically inside the canteen (DepED Order No. 8, s. 2007).
d. All food handlers, canteen teachers, and food consignees should secure HEALTH CERTIFICATES from the City Health Office. Food handlers should wear the HEALTH I.D. CARDS at all times during classes period and they should wear white shirt with apron and hair net. Health certificates should be renewed yearly.
e. Sanitation and personal hygiene must be observed by the food handlers and canteen personnel.
f. School canteens should avoid selling food from unfamiliar and doubtful sources.
g. Pesticides, disinfectants, and chemical agents must be stored outside the school canteen.
h. Food containers must be properly labelled and covered.
i. All foods prepared for the day shall be served and consumed within the day and no left overs to be served the following day.
In order to raise the level of consciousness of school children on the importance of food safety and dengue prevention, practical messages shall be integrated in basic education curriculum (TLE, MAPEH).
Health and nutrition section personnel should be vigilant and intensify the advocacy on Dengue Prevention and food safety and ensure implementation of all appropriate safety measures in the schools to provide a child friendly environment.
Attached herewith are copies of DepED Order No. 14, 2005 and 4S Strategy on Dengue Prevention.
April 18, 2005
DepEd Order No. 14, s. 2005
Instruction to Ensure Consumption of Nutritious and Safe Food in Schools
To:
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
1. To ensure consumption of nutritious and safe food in schools, all regional directors, schools superintendents, school heads and other school personnel are hereby directed to observe the following measures:
a. A Canteen for Every Schools
Every school must have a school canteen, no matter how small the school and how modest the canteen. In schools, currently without a canteen, the school head, in collaboration with the Parent-Teacher-Community Association (PTCA), should take steps to establish one.
b. School Canteen-Prepared Foods
c.School children should be advised to buy food and beverages only at the school canteen and be discouraged from going out of the campus to buy food items during school time. The recess period must be supervised by the class advisers.
d. Regulation/Control of Supply of Food Items
Food items for sale at the canteen should include natural or fortified food products that are rich in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals like: rootcrops, rice and corn products in native preparations, fruits and vegetables in season, and fortified foods, bearing the “Sangkap Pinoy” seal. Beverages shall be limited to milk, shakes and juices prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables.
e. Home-Prepared Snacks
The school heads and teachers should encourage parents, through the PTCA, to prepare packed snacks for their children to eat during recess time under the supervision of the class adviser.
f. Involvement of LGU’s/RHU’s
School officials should seek the assistance of Local Government Units (LGUs) and Rural Health Units (RHUs)/Barangay Health Center (BHCs) in regulating the sale of food and beverages by ambulant vendors. Presidential Decree No. 856 also known as the Code of Sanitation of the Philippines, allows ambulant food vendors to sell only bottled drinks, biscuits and confectionaries and other pre-packed foods.
They are prohibited to sell food that require utensils.
g. Food Safety Messages/Concepts
In order to raise the level consciousness of school children on the importance of food safety, basic messages/concepts shall be integrated in selected subjects in the basic education curriculum.
2. The Health and Nutrition Center shall provide Food Safety Handbook to schools as reference material and shall initiate the orientation training of regional health and nutrition personnel who will likewise take the lead in orienting the division office, and school health personnel and school administrators.
3. Health and nutrition personnel at the regional and division levels and school heads shall intensify advocacy on nutrition and food safety and ensure strict implementation of all appropriate safety measures in the schools.
4. Immediate dissemination of and widest compliance with this Order is directed.
FLORENCIO B. ABAD
Secretary
Good day sir, thank you so much for the important information we received. As an old teacher in the service, it is a great helped for me.