To the kids at Wat Makut Kasattriyaram kindergarten, their new stainless steel food trays look nicer than the old aluminium ones — and maybe their food even tastes better. That it is more hygienic is not something they immediately understand. But their parents do.
Five years ago City Hall decided to go for the safer option of stainless steel food trays amid growing concern over the quality, healthfulness and hygiene of food served at Bangkok administration schools.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) felt stainless steel trays should be introduced to all of its schools under its “Safety City” campaign, which began as a voluntary programme.
A report on students nationwide by the Public Health Ministry between 2010 and 2013 found 1,457 students in 24 schools had suffered from food poisoning. In 2013 alone, a total of 403 students from 11 schools had fallen ill, said Pussadee Tamthai, deputy Bangkok governor overseeing education and public health.
Eight out of the 24 schools in which students had suffered from food poisoning were under the BMA’s jurisdiction, Ms Pussadee said. They were Rattanakosin Somphot, Wat Ratsatthatham, Baan Nai Rean, Wat Bang Plad, Wat Pluk Sattha, Pracha Niwes, Wat Koo Bon and Wat Bamrungruean.
“Contamination with aluminium containers can be toxic,” says Dr Wantanee Wattana, the BMA's Department of Health director, and prolonged exposure can be very harmful.
Short-term health problems include headache, stomachache and diarrhoea, while long-team exposure to high levels of aluminium could lead to brain and nerve disorders.
Wat Makut Kasattriyaram Primary School is just one of the 438 BMA schools to introduce stainless steel trays for children into their school lunch programme. Tongchai Koratat, the school’s principal, decided to adopt the programme when made aware that stainless steel trays were safer.
The main concern among parents, however, is that the trays are heavier than the aluminium ones, making it more difficult for little hands to carry to the table.
But Mr Tongchai found there was little problem as the lunches for the delicate young students are served at the table. But it’s the students’ responsibility to return the trays after finishing their meals.
So far, City Hall has procured more than 200,000 stainless steel trays for schools that have joined the programme, according to Ms Pussadee. She says canteens that operate under safe and hygiene standards but with limited kitchen space have an additional responsibility to prevent food poisoning.
Mr Tongchai said school janitors have been ordered to maintain strict cleanliness standards in canteens and help to improve safety and hygiene.
With 469 students, Wat Makut Kasattriyaram’s canteen is not usually crowded as lunch breaks are scheduled at different times for different levels. Lunch starts at 10.45am for the 102 kindergarten students and 11.30am for the primary students.
Mr Tongchai said the emphasis is on nutrition to ensure students grow and develop.
A committee comprising people who have undergone nutrition training was set up to periodically check the quality of food prepared by schools. Mr Tongchai said teachers and students eat the same food prepared by the school cooks so it is easy to assess the quality.
Chanpen Kanphai, who has been preparing meals for school students for 12 years, tries to create dishes that are both healthy and appetising.ฺ
Students are offered rice congee with meat, Chinese-style noodles, or fried rice with vegetables and meat for breakfast, for instance. Soup with rice or one-dish rice and dessert or seasonal fruits are served at lunch. Khao moo daeng or red pork on top of rice and sweet sauce is sometimes served for lunch, to avoid repetition.
Ms Chanpen carries out random checks on the quality of ingredients to ensure safety standards.
Apart from food safety measures, Mr Tongchai said, students have a physical check-up every month given by medical personnel from a healthcare centre under BMA supervision.
Aluminium in the food supply also comes from natural water sources, Dr Wantanee said.
The underlying cause of food-borne illnesses students experience, according to the Public Health Ministry's report, is drinking contaminated water at schools.
Another ministry survey shows cooking at schools is substandard. Where water storage systems are located is another key factor in water contamination.
The poor quality of ingredients for school meals contributes to illnesses, according to the survey. Food that is not properly handled during cooking was yet another factor, while milk that is not handled correctly was also known to make pupils sick.
Under new City Hall food safety regulations, according to Ms Pussadee, schools must move underground storage tanks for drinking water above ground. School cooks must buy ingredients from certified sources.
Mr Tongchai said his school has submitted a proposal to City Hall for funds for a new raised drinking water storage system.
In the meantime, periodic checks for leaks in the underground drinking water system are carried out as a precaution.
The principal said the school was using a limited water supply stored in a container above ground as a priority source to reduce the possibility of contamination.
The BMA plans long-term measures for schools to improve the conditions of their kitchens to ensure they are as hygienic as possible, said Ms Pussadee, adding expansion of canteen space at some schools may be needed.
Children line up for their lunch to be served on stainless steel trays. Photos by Patipat Janthong.