This is the first time government is registering school canteens on such a large scale with the objective of maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and food quality consistently throughout the school calendar.

Recent inspections by the Food inspectors of the CMC revealed that many school canteen owners were violating the Food regulations and serving unhealthy, unhygienic food to school children.

Fast food although banned is still being sold in certain schools. Food with excessive salt and sugar, laced with toxic additives and dripping with oil and fizzy sweetened drinks could lead to obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension in school children at an early age.

Government is discussing healthier substitutes using local grains and cereals, which could be used instead, with canteen owners. the CMC also hopes to shortly introduce a fruit juice to substitute these fizzy unhealthy drinks. Food handlers in school canteens too will have to undergo medical inspections to see they don't pass on any infectious diseases to students.