The Gauteng Department of Education has suspended the sale of food in and around school premises across the province.
The move comes as part of the response to the surge in the consumption of suspected contaminated food by learners, allegedly caused by snacks bought from spaza shops and street vendors.
Gauteng has reported over 200 cases of suspected food poisoning since February this year, with several children sadly losing their lives.
Speaking for the Department, Steve Mabona appealed to the schools and they’re Governing Bodies to adhere to the current guidelines.
“To further protect the safety of learners, schools and SGBs are advised to issue a circular to parents, encouraging them to prepare meals at home instead of providing lunch money, until the relevant authorities issue updated guidelines for food vendors.
“Additionally, schools are encouraged to engage community organisations, education stakeholders, and small business associations to foster collaborative efforts aimed at preventing further incidents of food-borne illness,” Mabona emphasised.
The alarming increase of food poisoning has led to the hospitalisation of a large number of learners from different schools and in some cases, claimed young lives in the Free State, Mpumalanga Kwa Zulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The department also implored on schools to be extra vigilant with food being sold to learners.
According to the new guidelines, the schools must ensure that only food of nutritional value is sold within or near school premises, no expired or repackaged food items are sold to learners.
Schools must also ensure that any individual or business selling food to learners complies with Regulation 638 of 22 June 2018 which governs the safety and acceptability of food, and schools, SGBs, vendors and traders must familiarise themselves with the provision above.
Meanwhile, the government has partnered with several stakeholders comprising the national Department of Health, law enforcement agencies and Municipalities, to combat the food-borne illness outbreak.
