School canteen food detrimental to students’ health- NCD Head
View(s):Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases of the Galle District Health Office, Dr Nalin Wijesekera, warned that, given the quality of food served to children in school canteens, could cause their lifespans to be drastically affected, and they could suffer serious health issues when they reach their 40s.
“We inspected school canteens in 20 schools in the District. The quality of the bulk of the food served is detrimental to their health, as most of them are filled with harmful food preservatives,” he said.
Dr Wijesekera also said these preservatives cause much damage to the bodies of students. “We have prepared guidelines for those operating school canteen to follow, but all these are disregarded,” he said.
He added that, unless immediate steps are taken to ensure that food served in school canteens are healthy, schoolchildren will suffer serious health issues in midlife.
Dr Wijesekera made these comments at the District Agriculture Committee meeting held at the Divisional Secretariat Office this week.