Healthy Canteen & Healthy Menu

Healthy Canteen, Smart Eating: Thailand’s Road to Healthy Lives

Unhealthy dietary habits, combined with high body mass index and obesity, are significant contributors to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension.^[1]

In 2022, worldwide, an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years were living with hypertension,^[2] while 2.5 billion people aged 18 and older were overweight, including 890 million classified as obese.^[3]

Rising obesity prevalence, diabetes and hypertension have emerged as major public health concerns in Thailand. Echoing global trends, surveys^[4,5] show that obesity (BMI ≥ 25) among working-age Thais (15–59 years) increased from 34.7% in 2008–2009 to 42.4% in 2019–2020. Over the same period, the prevalence of diabetes jumped from 6.9% to 9.5%, and hypertension from 21.4% to 25.4%. These rising trends largely stem from dietary shifts, including higher consumption of sugary, fatty, and salty foods. This is compounded by a decline in fruit and vegetable intake, with Thai people consuming an average of only 3.7 standard portions per day, falling short of the recommended five standard portions.^[6]

In response, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health launched an ambitious initiative in 2020 to transform all of its workplace cafeterias into “healthy canteens,” a place where safe, fresh, clean, and nutritious foods in appropriate nutritional quantities are served every day.

Led by the Department of Health’s Bureau of Nutrition (BoN), the initiative, guided by WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety (2022–2030), aimed to promote healthy eating habits among working-age individuals in all workplaces and set an example for both public and private sectors.   

Canteens certified under this initiative must meet seven key criteria developed by the BoN in collaboration with the Water and Food Sanitation Bureau. These include ensuring food hygiene; providing at least one healthy menu per vendor; ensuring the availability of at least one fresh fruit vendor; offering options for reduced sugar in beverages; including nutritional labelling on food items; displaying clear signs indicating the sodium and sugar content of condiments; and providing ongoing nutrition and food sanitation education for vendors and consumers.

 “Transforming our own canteen first showed our commitment to health and leadership. This not only built trust among stakeholders but also set the standard and inspired others to follow our example.”

– Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health Thailand

Even before the shift towards healthy canteens, “healthy menus” have been in operation since 2007, long before the healthy canteen policy came into effect in 2020. These menus must not only be safe, and free from harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, and toxins, but also adhere to the BoN guidelines.^[7] These operational guidelines set specific limits on energy, fat, sugar, sodium, protein, and dietary fiber in each meal and prohibit the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) during cooking.

The first healthy canteen certification was awarded to the Department of Health’s own canteen and soon after all 11 other canteens within the Public Health Ministry were subsequently certified as healthy canteens.

From 2021 to 2023, the campaign expanded nationwide through public-private partnerships and a combination of online and on-site engagements, supported by Regional Health Centers 1–12, Bangkok Metropolitan Health and Wellness Institute, Local Administrative Organizations, and Provincial Public Health Offices. As a result, the number of certified healthy canteens grew to 81 in 2021, 160 in 2022, and 245 in  2023, as reported by Regional Health Centers. 

To streamline the efficiency of the healthy menu certification process, the BoN launched the “Food4Health” application in 2022. This digital platform significantly streamlined various activities, including on-site canteen inspections by audit and inspection officers, the evaluation of recipe composition and nutritional value based on checklists and operational guidelines, data collection from each vendor and submission to the BoN for final assessment, and the issuance and distribution of certificates to food vendors through Regional Health Centers and Provincial Public Health Offices.

As a result, the certification approval time was drastically reduced from one month to less than 10 minutes. Food vendors can now apply for healthy menu certification by simply submitting the required documents as attachments. Once approved, the certification remains valid for two years. Additionally, the platform features a location “pin”, making it easier for consumers to identify cafeterias offering healthy menus.

“Before joining the healthy canteen program, I was worried whether my customers would accept small changes, like adding more vegetables or reducing oil, fat, and MSG. But over time, they felt better, began requesting healthier options, and even returned to my shop in greater numbers. I am now proud that it’s a win not just for my business, but also for the health of the community."

– Certified Healthy Canteen Vendor

Prior to this digital transformation, however, the healthy canteen certification process also required audit and inspection officers from Regional Health Centers and Provincial Public Health Offices to conduct on-site visits across the country. Between 2020 and 2023, these teams assessed canteens in various regions using a survey, based on the seven criteria. They provided feedback for necessary improvements, and restaurant operators who successfully met all seven criteria, including the display of nutritional profiles on menus and submission of supporting documents as evidence, became eligible to apply for certification, which remained valid for two years. However, to improve efficiency, the healthy canteen certification process also transitioned fully to an online system in 2024.

“The Food4Health app has transformed the way we work, reducing certification time from weeks to minutes and significantly lowering operational costs. More importantly, it has improved our efficiency and enabled us to spend more time supporting vendors in enhancing food quality.”

– Regional Food Inspector

This shift not only streamlined the entire procedure but also enabled officers to complete their tasks more efficiently, dedicate more time to innovative initiatives, and significantly reduce operational costs, such as transportation and meal expenses.  

The public-private partnerships continued to expand in 2024 to include government agencies, private organizations, hospitals, prisons, food courts in shopping malls, and educational institutions. As a result, healthy canteens are now operating in Bangkok and all 76 provinces, with 373 canteens successfully certified by end of 2024, achieving 92% of the target goal of 405 for the year.

Consuming a variety of healthy foods throughout the life-course not only prevents malnutrition in all its forms, but also a range of NCDs.^[8] Additionally, a recent report from the Department of Health indicates that companies with healthy canteens experience fewer employees taking sick leave and incur lower medical expenses,^[9] highlighting the significant benefits of adopting a healthy cafeteria initiative.

However, challenges still remain, as some canteen operators face budgetary constraints in complying with the food safety standards required by national regulations.  

But the momentum is strong. The Department of Health remains committed to expanding the healthy canteen initiative nationwide, aiming to certify 1 000 healthy canteens by 2027. This ambitious goal will be achieved through close collaboration with all ministries, private enterprises, and small businesses, leveraging a data-driven decision-making process and a combination of both online and on-site health literacy and nutrition education campaigns. The aim is to empower Thais to make informed choices for safe, clean, and healthy food, helping protect against NCDs and enhancing their quality of life as they age.

Remark:

Canteen in Thailand is a dedicated space that brings together a number of vendors, each offering their own dishes, which can be consumed in a common area or taken away.

This feature story was contributed by the Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. More information about the Healthy Canteen initiative can be accessed through the Bureau’s official website

Healthy Canteen Guideline	Healthy Menu Guideline

References

1. World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases. Geneva, Switzerland. 2014.

2. World Health Organization. Key facts on hypertension. Geneva, Switzerland. 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension

3. World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight. Geneva, Switzerland. 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

4. Wichai Ekpalakorn. Report on the 4^th Public Health Survey by Physical Examination. Thai Public Health Survey Office and Health System Research Institute. Bangkok, Thailand. 2008-2009.

5. Wichai Ekpalakorn. Report on the 6^th Public Health Survey by Physical Examination. Thai Public Health Survey Office and Health System Research Institute. Bangkok, Thailand. 2019-2020.

6. World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases: Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 916. Geneva, Switzerland. 2003.

7. Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health Thailand. Operational Guidelines on Healthy Menus. Bangkok, Thailand. April 2020.

8. World Health Organization. Healthy diet. Geneva, Switzerland. 2019. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

9. Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health Thailand. Report on the Promotion of Health Among Working-Age People in Business Establishments. Bangkok, Thailand. 2024-2025.