Enhancing Food Safety Measures Following Recent Gastroenteritis Cases at Primary Schools and Incentives for Operators of School Canteens

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Miss Rachel Ong, Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Government will proactively engage displaced food and beverage operators to mitigate the ongoing shortage of canteen operators in schools; and (b) whether the Government will consider incentivising such pivots, providing these operators with stable, low-rental business environments while ensuring students have access to affordable quality meals.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Fadli Fawzi, Aljunied GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the 60 gastroenteritis cases at River Valley Primary School are linked to the food provided under the new Central Kitchen Meal Model; (b) what steps will be taken to strengthen food safety at the school; and (c) whether any punitive actions will be taken against the caterer, and if not, why not.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in light of recent gastroenteritis incidents at River Valley and North View Primary Schools (a) what checks are in place (i) at school level and (ii) at Ministry level to ensure food safety; and (b) whether the Ministry has examined evidence on the quality and safety of food prepared in central kitchens versus on-site preparation.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Foo Cexiang, Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has considered paying individual hawkers to set up stalls in the school canteen to sell cooked food.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, Aljunied GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) how many days after adopting the Central Kitchen Meal Model did the River Valley Primary School gastroenteritis outbreak occur; (b) whether central kitchen operators must meet Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards and the three-zone hygiene system as required in Japan; and (c) whether the Ministry will publish food safety audit results for all such operators.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the Central Kitchen Meal Model where a single operator serves multiple schools (a) what risk assessment framework has the Ministry developed to address the concentration of food safety risk across multiple school populations; and (b) whether there is a cap on the number of schools a single central kitchen operator can supply to.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Hany Soh, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Minister can provide an update on the case where 147 North View Primary School pupils suffered suspected gastroenteritis symptoms; and (b) how the Ministry has been supporting affected students and their families.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Joan Pereira, Tanjong Pagar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education regarding the central kitchen meal model for some schools, whether the Ministry would consider an alternative model where the meals and food are prepared onsite at the school premises, to prevent food spoilage due to transportation or storage.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim, East Coast GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in light of concerns over the central kitchen meal model and recent gastroenteritis cases at River Valley Primary School (a) what new measures will be in place to ensure that school meals are safe and nutritious, if any; and (b) what recourse is available to parents, schools, and students when catering companies are found to have breached food safety standards.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Lee Hui Ying, Nee Soon GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education given the challenges of retaining or finding new school canteen stallholders, whether the Ministry will consider providing support for schools to partner local businesses or hawkers in selling food to students at affordable prices.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) under what circumstances will the Ministry suspend or terminate a caterer’s operations under the central kitchen meal model; and (b) what contingency protocols exist to ensure that students continue to have access to school meals during such periods of operational suspensions.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in respect of the recent gastroenteritis outbreak at North View Primary School (a) what protocols govern the timeframe for confirming such outbreaks; (b) whether these protocols were followed in this case; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will review these protocols to ensure more timely outbreak detection, confirmation and parent notification.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether additional measures are planned to further support the sustainability of the Individual Stallholder System; and (b) what are the Government’s expectations for the number of schools that will adopt the Central Kitchen Meal Model by 2030.

Response

1. As parents and Members of this House, we all understand how important school meals are for our children's growth and well-being. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is fully committed to ensuring that every student has access to affordable, nutritious and balanced meals.
2. For decades, we have relied on individual stallholders running our canteen stalls – the familiar model many of us grew up with, where we fondly remember our favourite uncle or auntie serving our go-to dishes. We always looked forward to recess and lunch. Today, 95% of our schools continue with this trusted approach, and stallholders have been doing an excellent job providing affordable and healthy meals to our students.
3. However, we do face a real challenge. An increasing number of schools are struggling to fill their vacant canteen stalls, leaving students, especially those with dietary needs, very limited options. In some cases, these students may have to eat the same dish for weeks and as parents, all of us would want our children to have a better experience.
4. Mr Louis Chua, Ms Rachel Ong, Ms Lee Hui Ying and Mr Foo Cexiang asked whether additional measures would be provided to sustain individual stallholders.
5. Let me first assure all Members that MOE provides substantial support to help our stallholders succeed because we believe that their food and their presence can add to the positive school experience for our students. Stallholders pay very low rentals of between five and 15 dollars per month, and we waive these during school holidays when there are no customers. We also seek preferential electricity tariffs through demand aggregation and we pass these savings directly to stallholders. We regularly review our food pricing guidelines to ensure that stallholder operations can remain viable while keeping the meals affordable for our students and their families.
6. But the challenges go deeper than just costs. School canteens have a small customer base and limited business hours due to the school schedules. Elderly stallholders may also start to have regular medical appointments and may not be able to operate their stalls daily. This is a complex issue with no easy solutions, but we will continue to explore new ways and different ways to support our stallholders.
7. Mr Louis Chua asked about the number of schools that MOE expects to adopt the Central Kitchen Meal Model by 2030. We did not start the Central Kitchen Meal Model so as to replace the traditional canteen model. We wanted to explore alternative models to help our schools that were struggling to attract stallholders and had severe shortages of functioning stalls. We want to avoid putting students in these schools at risk of not having good access to affordable, nutritious and balanced meals.
8. So, we started with a pilot at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, which relocated from Bukit Batok to Punggol and did not have existing stallholders at the Punggol site. After seeing positive results, we decided to try out a range of Central Kitchen Meal Models in 13 additional schools that faced challenges in securing sufficient stallholders. This allowed students in these schools to continue to have access to healthy and affordable food options.
9. We will explore the Central Kitchen Meal Model only with schools with such difficulties. We have no intention to scale this to all schools, nor do we have a target in mind.
10. Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Elysa Chen asked about our openness to other models. We are indeed taking an open and flexible approach and hence, we are trying out a range of possible models. Some schools are using hybrid models where operators both deliver pre-ordered meals as well as prepare fresh food onsite. In several schools, students can still choose and watch their meals being prepared at live cooking stations, alongside having the pre-ordered options. We will continue to look at different options that best serve our students’ needs and refine the model based on feedback.
11. We do see some positive outcomes in our schools. Students spend less time queuing for food during recess and have more time for play and interaction with one another. Parents have also shared that they now know what their children eat in school and can better support their children in achieving a balanced diet. Our teachers also now have access to a wider range of meal options in school.
12. We appreciate the concern that many Members have shown towards the stallholders affected by the transition in schools that are trying out the new models. I want to assure Members that our schools have been actively supporting the stallholders throughout this process. Several of them have joined our three operators and now enjoy more stable income. Others have found placements at different schools, pursued new opportunities, or chosen to retire. MOE continues to welcome applications from anyone interested in operating school canteen stalls, including private entities for schools with persistent vacancies. All available opportunities are listed on our website.
13. Several Members asked about food safety measures and the applicable good hygiene standard. Food prepared by central kitchens is not inherently unsafe or less safe. Central kitchens are licensed by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). They are subjected to more frequent inspections, as explained by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan, as they have a larger scale of food processing or preparation. In addition, central kitchens are graded under the Safety Assurance for Food Establishment (SAFE) framework. In the event of a major food lapse, they will be downgraded and inspected even more frequently.
14. MOE will continue to work with SFA, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) and the operators to strengthen food safety management systems. This covers everything from preparation at the central kitchens to transportation, storage and eventually when the food is served to the students.
15. Ms Lee Hui Ying asked for data on gastroenteritis cases from January 2022 to December 2025. The number of gastroenteritis incidents in schools have averaged six cases a year in the past three years across all food service models.
16. Many Members also asked about the recent suspected gastroenteritis incidents in River Valley Primary School and North View Primary School. SFA, CDA and MOE are still investigating the causes for both incidents.
17. River Valley Primary School currently uses one of our Central Kitchen Meal Model operators, while North View Primary School has traditional stallholders. Both schools immediately stepped up the cleaning and sanitisation of their canteens and premises. Students were also reminded about good personal hygiene and to rest at home if they are unwell. Throughout both incidents, the schools maintained close, regular communication with parents and caregivers and continue to work with SFA and CDA to monitor any developments. At both schools, all affected students have returned to school.
18. While the investigations continue, we have reinforced with the Central Kitchen Meal Model operator at River Valley Primary School and also with the stallholders at North View Primary School the critical importance of maintaining the highest food safety standards and full compliance with SFA requirements. This includes kitchen cleanliness and safe food handling practices.
19. Ms Eileen Chong and Mr Fadli Fawzi asked about our protocols for suspension, termination and contingency measures. Where food safety breaches are detected, whether at central kitchens or individual stalls, SFA takes immediate enforcement action and requires rectifications. Operations may be suspended or terminated for severe food safety breaches or ongoing disease transmission, with other punitive actions considered based on the findings.
20. For schools using our Central Kitchen Meal Model operators, MOE has established contingency protocols to ensure that students will continue to have access to school meals. These include activation of alternative central kitchens, while implementing more permanent solutions. We have also taken a cautious approach by limiting each operator to just serving just four or five schools. This helps to contain the impact of any operational issues and also allows us to observe different operators' performance and have back-up options ready if needed.
21. So, while the Central Kitchen Meal Model operators have had some initial pre-ordering problems in the first few weeks, the situation has stabilised. We will continue to monitor the performance of the operators closely and also actively take in feedback from students, parents and teachers.
22. I want to end by thanking Members for the concern for our students and for the stallholders, and for the many good suggestions that had come in. We are committed to providing every student access to affordable and healthy meal options in our schools. We will continue to listen, to learn and to adapt to serve and support our children better.