Gender Minister Urges School Feeding Caterers to Prioritise Nutrition, Hygiene and Food Safety
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called on school feeding caterers to put greater emphasis on nutrition, hygiene and food safety to ensure that children receive healthy and balanced meals at school.
Dr Lartey made the call when she visited a nutrition training programme for caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme in Tamale in the Northern Region.
The training brought together caterers from six regions to improve their knowledge and practical skills in nutrition, food safety, hygiene and the preparation of balanced meals for schoolchildren.
The minister’s visit formed part of her working tour of the Northern and North East Regions from 5 to 7 August 2026. During the visit, she interacted with caterers and facilitators, observed practical training sessions and assessed how the programme could improve the quality of meals served to children.
Dr Lartey said the School Feeding Programme should go beyond simply providing food and ensure that meals contribute to children’s growth, health and ability to learn.
She said caterers needed the right knowledge and practical skills to prepare nutritious meals from locally available food while maintaining proper hygiene and food safety standards.
The minister also urged the caterers to apply what they had learnt and called for closer cooperation between the Ministry, the School Feeding Programme, local authorities and technical institutions.
She said sustained training, effective monitoring and greater attention to nutrition were important to improving the programme and ensuring that children across the country received safe and nutritious meals while at school.
The caterers thanked the minister for engaging directly with them and pledged to use the knowledge gained from the training to improve the quality of meals served to schoolchildren.
