Dubai Municipality has strengthened its efforts to safeguard public health and ensure the highest standards of food safety and nutrition in schools across the emirate. The measures, which apply to kindergartens, nurseries, and schools, aim to create a safe and healthy environment for students throughout the 2025 academic year.
As part of its ongoing inspection programme, the Municipality has carried out regular field visits to school canteens, supported by daily monitoring through the “DM Checked” platform. The platform enables transparent and accurate tracking of canteen performance and facilitates the review and approval of menus to ensure compliance with Dubai’s nutritional guidelines and food safety requirements.
These initiatives reflect Dubai Municipality’s wider vision of building a sustainable health and food system that enhances quality of life for all community members.
A dedicated team of five food safety inspectors oversees 456 educational institutions annually, supported by the Applied Nutrition and Awareness Section, which conducts training workshops for canteen staff and nutrition officers. Awareness sessions are also delivered to students to promote food safety, healthy dietary habits, and the reduction of food waste.
In line with this, canteens are required to implement the Smart Food Choices System, which classifies foods into four categories — green, yellow, red, and black. This system encourages the availability of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthier beverage options, such as water and low-fat milk.
Dubai Municipality also undertakes comprehensive inspections of school facilities, covering ventilation and air-conditioning systems, swimming pools, and water supply networks. Reports on water tank cleaning, sterilisation, and preventive maintenance are reviewed, along with compliance of school uniforms with approved specifications.
The Municipality emphasised that immediate action is taken in cases of non-compliance, which may include withdrawing non-conforming products, prohibiting circulation, and requiring corrective measures to be implemented by the relevant establishment.