Frequency of HPB and MOE's Canteen Vendor Compliance Audits for Healthy Meals in School Programme

Mr David Hoe asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Health Promotion Board (HPB), together with MOE, conducts periodic audits of canteen vendor compliance with the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme guidelines; (b) if so, what is the (i) audit frequency and coverage (ii) 2020 to 2024 compliance rates and (iii) common breaches and enforcement actions; and (c) if not, whether HPB will consider instituting regular audits and corrective timelines.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) regularly assesses compliance with the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme (HMSP) guidelines. From 2020 to 2024, on average, more than half of school canteen stalls fully meet the HMSP guidelines. Common areas of non-compliances include the usage of non-Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) sauces, meat-based products or noodles.

HPB shares assessment results with schools and canteen vendors and provides recommendations to canteen stalls on areas for improvement. To help canteen vendors meet the HMSP guidelines, HPB provides resources, such as the HMSP Toolkit for Schools, which includes sample recipes using healthier ingredients and cooking methods.