Cambodia govt representatives telling students in the province of Banteay Meanchey about the on banning seeet and energy drinks. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
PHNOM PENH (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): Two leading ministries in Cambodia have released a joint statement outlining penalties for anyone found in breach of the Law on Food Safety after banning sweet and enegy .
Meanwhile, multiple schools have started educating their pupils on the health risks associated with energy drinks and are prohibiting their consumption on school grounds.
The statement from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) highlights that the MoC will be responsible for imposing these fines. The penalties will serve as a source of revenue for the Ministry of Commerce, overriding any previous proclamations.
“Revenues collected from the fines and penalties in cash for offenders who violate the provision of law on food safety is recorded as revenue of the Ministry of Commerce. Any provisions that are contrary to this inter-ministerial proclamation shall be repealed,” the announcement declares.
To further illustrate the scope of this new initiative, the statement includes an appendix. It specifies that vendors engaging in unregulated, unsanitary, or deceitful practices could face financial penalties ranging from 500,000 to 20 million riel.
In a parallel move, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has issued a new policy prohibiting the sale of certain types of food within educational establishments.
The list of banned items includes expired food, alcohol and tobacco products, food of indeterminate origin, energy drinks, sugary beverages, coffee, ice cream, syrup, chocolate, candy and all forms of chewing gum, as well as all kinds of jellies, donuts, sweet cakes, and sweet-dried canned fruits.
Yem Saith, a teacher at Tbeng Primary School in the Banteay Srei district of Siem Reap province, confirmed to The Post on July 26 that her school had been implementing these regulations and providing educational outreach to students for several months.
She noted that over 500 students, primarily younger children, have already begun altering their behaviour and reducing their consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks.
“The consumption of processed food and beverages has declined after the school began providing education and guidance. We are extremely pleased to observe this change as it will enhance their health. This effort necessitates the involvement of parents and guardians,” Saith emphasised.
She went on to call for greater parental involvement in dissuading their children from consuming unsafe food, highlighting their vital role in this endeavour.
Yi Kimthan, deputy country director of Plan International Cambodia, endorsed the move to educate children about the risks associated with processed foods and sugary drinks. He applauded the commitment of schools and teachers to daily education in accordance with the Ministry of Education’s guidelines and restrictions.
“We need to work collaboratively to reduce and eventually eliminate the consumption of high-sugar products that pose a threat to children’s health. From my observations, the measures taken by the Ministry of Education, the Education Department, and the district education office have significantly improved control over school canteen sales,” Kimthan said.
Meanwhile,Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron said the move was aimed at preventing the risk of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes, which was caused by the consumption of sugary and energy drinks, reported Xinhua.
"The consumption, distribution, sale, and advertisement of all kinds of energy drinks in and around schools' campuses are strictly prohibited," he said in a directive.
He said the prohibition was applied to all public and private educational institutions as well as technical education institutions across the country.
Naron advised all schools to remind students of the effects of having energy drinks when they gathered for the salutation of the national flag.
He also instructed the schools to seize energy drinks from sellers in and around the schools and terminate their stall rental contracts if they defied the ban.
The prohibition came hours after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the kingdom has reported an increase in diabetes, advising the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to take action to prevent the disease among students.
"Some children consume up to three cans of sugary or energy drinks a day," he said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Health Sciences Hospital in Phnom Penh.
According to Minister of Health Chheang Ra, diabetes was a major cause of mortality in Cambodia.
He said while infectious diseases were once the primary cause of death in the country, non-communicable diseases currently accounted for more than half of fatalities.
The minister said four main types of non-communicable diseases are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
