The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, through its Inspection Department, has launched a comprehensive nationwide inspection of kitchens in schools and kindergartens, as well as the broader food supply system serving children. The inspection, which began on September 2, will continue for two weeks. 

The initiative comes as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of students by ensuring that the meals they receive are safe, nutritious, and prepared under proper conditions. Inspectors are focusing on the operations of school and kindergarten kitchens, food supply centers, and enterprises providing raw materials and prepared foods to educational institutions. The inspections involve verifying compliance with several key pieces of legislation, including the Law on Food, the Law on Ensuring The Safety of Food Products, the Law on Food Production and Service in Secondary Schools, and the Law on Livestock and Animal Health. 

On September 4, B.Batshagai, Head of the Inspection Department, accompanied by senior inspectors from the capital, directly monitored inspections at Ulaanbaatar’s School No. 141 and Kindergarten No. 19, underscoring the importance the ministry places on this initiative.

Ulaanbaatar alone is home to 173 state-owned and 153 privately owned schools, alongside 325 state-owned and 343 privately owned kindergartens. For the current academic year, a sample-based inspection is being conducted in 67 schools and 69 kindergartens, without distinction between public and private ownership.

The inspections also extend to five locally owned food supply centers and multiple private suppliers responsible for delivering food products to schools and kindergartens. Inspectors are reviewing the quality, safety, and certification of food items, as well as storage and transportation practices. A key focus is ensuring that educational institutions are being supplied with food products that meet the ministry’s official standards for raw materials and ingredients.

By reinforcing preventive oversight, the ministry aims to protect children from potential food-related risks while raising accountability among food suppliers and educational institutions. Officials emphasize that ensuring food safety in schools and kindergartens is not only a regulatory responsibility but also a critical investment in the health of Mongolia’s younger generations.