Managed Services-The Managed Services of Food Services Operations for Schools

Primary & Secondary School

In Hong Kong, many primary and secondary school provide lunch service. Majority of primary schools and some secondary schools are not allow the student eat out, which means students have to stay in school for lunch. The lunch would be provided by a particular supplier which chosen by the school or the students bring their own lunchbox. 

Trends:

1.   One stop-catering service

Basically, the food supplier would provide door to door service for school. Once they finish the packing step at food production center, they would send the lunchbox directly to the school.

But recently, there is a trend to provide one stop-catering service in school. One stop-catering service is spare a space in school to prepare food for the students which like student canteen. One stop-catering service can improve the food quality.

2.  Be more environmental friendly
Green lunchbox become more popular in these few years. Some policy which favorite to the environment are also implemented by the food provider like allowing the student to choose different qualities of their own lunch box in order to reduce food wasting. Encourage the students to use the recycle utilities.

3.   Healthy diet
According to the Department of Health (DH) Student Health Service, childhood obesity rate has been maintaining the upward trend in the last decade and the trend continues. Researches nowadays confirmed that overweight children are more likely to stay obese in their adulthood. As evidence is clear that adult obesity is associated with many chronic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, stroke and cancers, public health measures aiming at control of childhood obesity has become imperative.
  Therefore, DH has, together with the Education and Manpower Bureau (now Education Bureau) launched the "EatSmart@school.hk" Campaign (ESS) since the year of 2006. Joining hand in hand with major stakeholders in the education sector, an "EatSmart@School Campaign Steering Committee" was formed to steer the planning and implementation of health promotion programme related to healthy eating in primary schools. Apart from the setting up a"School Nutri-Agent Project" in 2006/07 school year, the project was further upgraded into the current "EatSmart School Accreditation Scheme (ESAS)" in the 2009/10 school year. 

For those joined school, they provide low fat, low sugar, low salt and high-fibre snacks for their student. And also promote the fruit month which provide some fruit to the students in lunch. 

 

Challenge:

1.  Decreasing in the total number of students
Regarding the low birth rate in recent decade, children are less then before. Therefore, fewer students in primary and secondary which narrow the school lunch service market.


2.  Cost Control
The recent trends are required the food supplier provide nutritional value, the cost must be higher than the non-nutritional one. In addition, the inflation rate is quite high and the government set up the lowest wages which are the factor increasing the cost. Thus, cost control would be one of the challenge of the food provider.

Reference:
http://school.eatsmart.gov.hk/b5/template/index.asp?pid=2012&id=3001
http://school.ecc.org.hk/tc_chi/archive/archive_video_promo.html