Survey results on laboratory analysis in food nutrients around secondary school food environment / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

ABSTRACT

BackgroundSchoolchildren spent most of time in school and the school environment is one of several settings thatcan influence children’s food choices and eating habits. Schools can ensure that the available food andbeverage options are healthy and help young people eat food that meets dietary recommendations forfruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat or low-fat dairy products.GoalTo assess quality of common foods and diet in school environmentsObjectives:1. Define food items and groups in school environment;2. laboratory analysis in sample foods on “School lunch” and around school environmentMaterial and MethodsThirty public and private schools from six districts of city of UB were randomly selected from a list of allschools. Laboratory tests were analyzed total 250 samples from school canteens and within 250 metersdistances around sampled schools.ResultSchoolchildren are exposed to a wide range of unhealthy food and beverages in the school environmentand healthier food and drink’s choices are very limited in these settings. The high availability of differentvarieties of unhealthy food and drinks at affordable prices makes these products the most preferablechoices for children. Overall, 46.5 percent of schoolchildren were served in school canteen and 33.9percent of schoolchildren were served outside of schools including shops and buffet. Main factors of foodchoice were first, like eating (30.2%), food price (27.8%), hungry (16.7%) and food advertisement was6.3% among schoolchildren. Most of common foods (92.5%) were analyzed with high in salt, sugar andlow content of vitamins and minerals around school environment. There was very high sugar content per100 gram products for instance, “Batos” ice-cream 22.75 gr, “Iberry” ice cream 14.05 gr and, “Granat”juice 1364 gr. In addition, fat content is also high in schoolchildren’s common food consumption. Fatcontent tested 31.4gr in chips and 30.6 gr in pie, cake and 26.9 gr in biscuits per 100 gr products.