ABSTRACT
Background:In the scope of the “School Lunch” program initiated by the Government of Mongolia, pupils of primary schools are served with meals prepared in school canteens and food products provided by food manufacturers. The safety of the provided food products must be monitored and evaluated. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the safety of the meals and food products being given to pupils in the frame of the above program.Materials and methods:Nutritious values and safety of 31 samples of school canteen meals and food products of 5 general education schools were determined using microbiological analysis methods based on Mongolian national standards. Results:The analysis results revealed that the total number of microbes in canteen meals fluctuated between 1х102 and 4х102, and no pathogens were detected in the analyzed samples. The quality of all pastry products met the Mongolian standard hygiene requirements. The variation of the total number of microbes in dairy products was 2х105 -4х105, and no pathogens were found in dairy products.Conclusion:Microbiological analyses show that the food products supplied by the contractual companies in the frame of “Lunch” program and meals from the school canteens meet Mongolian hygiene requirements.