School canteens in Malaysia continue to face challenges in fully adhering to government guidelines aimed at restricting the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages, according to industry representatives and health experts.
Khairuddin Hamzah, president of the Malaysian School Canteen Operators Association, highlighted that both the Health and Education ministries have established regulations prohibiting the sale of 12 specific types of food and drinks within school canteens. These include sweets, chocolate, pickled foods with high salt and acid content, junk and processed foods, as well as energy, isotonic, flavoured, carbonated drinks, and fruit juices containing less than 35% fruit content.
Khairuddin noted that while prescribed menus, such as the Supplementary Food Programme and Selangor’s NutriSel food programme, undergo nutritional assessment to meet the needs of primary school pupils, challenges remain with cash-based food sales. “Canteen operators are free to sell any food as long as they do not breach the regulations prohibiting the sale of these 12 food and beverage types,” he said. However, he emphasized that prohibited items are still often brought into schools by outside vendors and sold at stalls near school premises.
He added that the issue is exacerbated by fast food being sold outside schools without adequate oversight. Pupils frequently purchase these items and consume them within school premises, sometimes facilitated by teachers or students who sell such food internally. This creates confusion, as it may appear that the school canteens are responsible for providing the banned items.
Khairuddin also pointed out that some school cooperatives continue to sell prohibited foods and drinks despite an Education Ministry circular issued in 2013 forbidding them from selling any food and beverages. Enforcement efforts, he said, focus mainly on canteen operators, while school cooperatives operating adjacent to canteens often escape scrutiny from District Health Office inspectors.
Supporting these concerns, Dr. Nor Baizura Md Yusop from Universiti Putra Malaysia underscored the significance of school canteens in shaping students’ dietary patterns. She referenced a study assessing 568 food and beverage items available in public primary and secondary school canteens, which found that fruits and vegetables comprised only 1% to 3% of available items. Meanwhile, high-fat, sugary foods and beverages were common, with nearly 29.1% of packaged items classified as high in sugar and 26.8% labeled as prohibited under the Healthy School Canteen Management Guide. Only 10.2% of items were considered highly recommended, healthy choices.
“These findings suggest that healthier options are not consistently accessible within the school food environment despite existing guidelines,” Dr. Nor Baizura said. She pointed to the Malaysian School Nutrition Programme involving 523 primary schoolchildren aged seven to 11, which showed that combining nutrition education with a supportive healthy school canteen environment led to improved eating behaviours, physical activity, cognitive performance, and healthier Body Mass Index-for-age outcomes.
Dr. Nor Baizura emphasized that efforts to improve children's nutrition must go beyond education alone. Increasing the availability and appeal of healthier canteen foods, reducing nutrient-poor options, and engaging all stakeholders—including canteen operators, schools, parents, and pupils—are essential steps toward creating a more supportive food environment in schools.