A city invited to learn: Food Safety Month in Hanoi Schools

A typical school lunch tray for a lower secondary student in Hanoi may include rice, a meat dish, soup, and a small portion of vegetables. At first glance, the meal may appear sufficient and appealing to children. But is it truly balanced for healthy growth and development?

Recent assessments conducted in Nam Trung Yen and Yen Hoa Schools in Hanoi showed that school meals generally met students' energy needs and followed good food safety practices. However, their nutritional balance still needed improvement. Students' food preferences often influenced the types of dishes included in the menus, and these frequently contained too much fat, limited vegetables, and deep-fried dishes.

Amid growing concerns over school nutrition and food safety in Vietnam, Rikolto organised a training about “Nutrition and Food Hygiene Safety, and Guidance on Developing School Meal Menus in Educational Institutions”, in collaboration with the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Yen Hoa Ward.

The session was held on 14 May 2026 at the People’s Committee of Yen Hoa Ward (Hanoi), with 400 delegates from preschools, primary and lower secondary schools, educational administrators, boarding kitchen staff, and experts in nutrition and food safety. The activity took place in the context of Hanoi’s implementation of the 2026 “Month of Action for Food Safety” campaign in April and May (Plan No. 153/KH-UBND Hanoi People’s Committee).

A campaign that promotes coordination at all levels  

If we are talking about “putting the pieces together”, that is one of the intentions of the “Month of Action for Food Safety” campaign. The training took place within this broader initiative.

The campaign is directed to strengthen the inspections of collective kitchens, enhance the capacity of the staff and schools to prevent food poisoning, and promote food safety within school communities. At the same time, it puts a spotlight on the importance of coordination among authorities, schools, parents and communities in monitoring food supply chains, moving towards a more transparent and accountable system.

The Challenge of the “Double Burden”

According to the National Nutrition Surveys from 2010 and 2020¹ the overweight and obesity rate among children aged 5–19 in Vietnam increased from 8.5% to 19.0% within just one decade, with particularly rapid growth in urban areas.  

These figures were put into context during the training by Associate Professor Dr. Bui Thi Nhung, a nutrition expert, who emphasised the “double burden” of malnutrition, where children face both excessive energy intake and deficiencies in essential micronutrients necessary for physical and cognitive development.

A systemic approach to developing more balanced, scientific, and age-appropriate school meal menus is supported by wide evidence: reviews and several interventions have consistently shown that enforcing strong nutrition standards can enhance diet quality and nutrition outcomes among schoolchildren across various socioeconomic backgrounds².  

However, nutritionally balanced menus cannot be implemented effectively without coordinated activities in guidance, education, practice, and communication. These must be tailored to different target groups and stakeholders and remain key areas that require continued attention and further promotion in the coming period.

During the training session, experts introduced principles for menu development, including:

• combining diverse protein sources from both animal and plant-based foods

• increasing the use of colourful vegetables

• limiting processed foods

• appropriately controlling salt and sugar intake in students' diets

Next steps  

Rikolto will continue contributing to a more comprehensive approach to improving the quality of school meals in Hanoi. Through organising interdisciplinary training activities, together with schools, parents, and meal providers.

This was the second in a series of training sessions. The first was held on 24 April 2026 at the People's Committee of Cau Giay Ward, attracting more than 250 representatives from educational institutions and meal service providers. The session emphasised the importance of stakeholder collaboration in enhancing school meal quality and promoting healthy nutrition practices among students.

In the coming period, the next training session will be organised in Nghia Do Ward, continuing to promote good practices in school nutrition and contributing towards safer, healthier, and more sustainable school environments for children.

3 early lessons in this process  

• The voice of experts, especially nutritionists, plays a crucial role in building evidence, as their expertise is highly trusted among schools and parents.

• Evidence can be built in various forms, from educational toolkits to research and survey reports, and should be tailored to different target groups and stakeholders.

• Students are at the heart of the project, and interventions continue to show that their opinions on menus, study materials, school gardens, and games are valuable for improving and scaling up activities.

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