Results of the surveillance study of school lunch meals and drinking water in general education schools
- VernacularTitle:Ерөнхий боловсролын сургуулийн сурагчдын үдийн хоол болон ундны усанд хийсэн тандалт судалгааны үр дүн
- Author:
Byambasuren B
1
;
2
;
Ser-Od Kh
1
;
Nandin-Erdene O
2
;
Gantuya D
1
Author Information
1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences
2. National Reference Laboratory of Food Safety
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Coliform count;
Child;
Standard requirement;
Foodborne disease
- From:
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences
2026;91(1):54-57
- CountryMongolia
- Language:Mongolian
-
Abstract:
Background:Although food-borne infectious diseases occur across all age groups globally, evidence indicates that young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals are disproportionately affected due to their increased susceptibility to enteric pathogens. Young children in particular are at higher risk because their immune systems are not yet fully developed and they have lower body mass, which together reduce their ability to resist and recover from food-borne infections. In Mongolia, reported cases of intestinal infectious diseases in 2024 exceeded the ten-year historical average by 504.5 cases, and food- and water-related infections such as hand-foot-and-mouth disease, dysentery, and salmonellosis remain predominant among these conditions.
Aim:The objective of this study was to conduct microbiological analyses of school lunches and drinking water provided to general education school students and to evaluate their compliance with relevant national standards.
Materials and Methods:A total of 107 school lunch samples and 35 drinking water samples collected from general education schools were included in the study. Microbiological analyses were performed to assess hygiene and safety indicators, including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., total coliform count, total viable microbial count (TVC), and intestinal bacteria. Laboratory analyses were conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Food Safety Reference Laboratory under the Standardization and Metrology Authority. Confirmatory identification of microorganisms was performed using the VITEK 2 Compact system.
Result:Of the 35 drinking water samples analyzed for 105 parameters, 8.5% (n=3) exceeded the permissible limits for total microbial counts. In the 107 school lunch food samples, a total of 428 microbiological parameters were examined, of which 26.1% (n=28) showed coliform counts above the allowable limits specified in the MNS 6308:2012 standard. Additionally, enterobacteriaceae were detected in 42.9% (n=46) of the food samples. When analyzed by school, 51.5% of the 35 schools (18 schools) had food samples with coliform counts that did not meet the standard requirements, whereas 49.5% (17 schools) showed compliance with the standards. These findings indicate that, on average, one out of every two schools fails to meet the required hygiene practices, proper food production procedures, and microbiological safety standards in meal preparation.
Conclusion:Microbiological analysis of 107 food samples from 35 general education schools across 428 indicators revealed that 26.1% did not meet the requirements of the MNS 6308:2012 “Microbiological safety and hygiene criteria for food products” standard due to excessive coliform counts. Of the 35 drinking water samples analyzed for 105 indicators, 5.7% (n=2) failed to meet the requirements of the MNS 0900:2018 “Drinking water: Hygiene requirements, quality, and safety assessment” standard with respect to total viable microbial count.
- Full text:202609251603186845009_Ерөнхий_боловсролын_сургуулийн_сурагчдын_үдийн_хоол_болон_ун.pdf
