First school kitchen adopts 'Responsible Green Tick' model

Transparency in every school meal

On July 9, the Tan My Ward People's Committee in Ho Chi Minh City launched the "Responsible Green Tick" initiative for school kitchens. The initiative is the first of its kind to be implemented in school meal services in the area, aiming to build a safe and transparent food supply chain while strengthening accountability among all stakeholders, from food suppliers to kitchen operators, in providing meals for students.

As one of the first parents to experience the initiative, Nguyen Bao Tran, whose child attends Phu My Kindergarten, said she scanned the QR code on the school's menu after being informed about the program to learn more about the origin of the food ingredients.

"I can see who supplied the meat, fish, and vegetables, where they came from, and whether they have been inspected. Having access to this information gives me much greater confidence in the quality of my child's meals," she said.

According to Ms. Tran, parents' greatest expectation when sending their children to school is peace of mind about the meals they receive each day. Previously, parents could only view the daily menu, but they can now also trace the origin of food ingredients, helping address concerns about the quality of school meals.

For schools, implementing the Green Tick initiative is more than introducing another management procedure - it represents a commitment to improving the quality of childcare services.

Than Thi Thanh Thao, Principal of Phu My Kindergarten, said that at the preschool level, providing meals is not only about ensuring proper nutrition but also about safeguarding children's health and supporting their overall development. For this reason, the school considers food safety a top priority and has strengthened measures to manage, monitor, and ensure transparency throughout the entire meal preparation process.

According to Ms. Thao, being selected to pilot the Responsible Green Tick initiative reflects the school's commitment to building a safe, transparent, and fully traceable school kitchen. By giving parents greater access to information, the initiative strengthens trust in the school while motivating teachers and staff to further improve the quality of childcare and nutrition services.

Controlling food safety from the start of the supply chain

Nguyen Truong Giang, Vice Chairman of the Tan My Ward People's Committee, said that inspecting food only at the final stage is not sufficient to ensure sustainable food safety. Protecting students' health requires oversight throughout the entire supply chain, from identifying where food is produced and who grows or raises it, to who transports, processes, and ultimately takes responsibility should any food safety incident occur.

According to Mr. Giang, the core of the initiative is not the Responsible Green Tick itself but the accountability assigned to every participant in the supply chain. Suppliers are responsible for the origin of raw materials, food service providers for meal quality, schools for selecting and monitoring suppliers, and government authorities for inspection, oversight, and public disclosure of information. When accountability is clearly established at every stage, parents' confidence in school meals will be significantly strengthened.

According to Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, the Responsible Green Tick is an initiative jointly developed by the Department and the Ho Chi Minh City High Technology Association to promote businesses' voluntary commitment to product quality.

Its adoption in school kitchens marks the next phase of the initiative, enhancing transparency across the food supply chain and providing consumers with greater access to information for informed choices and oversight.

To prepare for implementation, Tan My Ward worked with schools, school meal providers, and other stakeholders to establish implementation procedures, traceability requirements, and the responsibilities of each participating party. Under the plan, the initiative will continue to be refined by expanding the network of qualified suppliers, applying digital technologies to strengthen management, and gradually scaling up across educational institutions in the ward.

The Responsible Green Tick initiative was launched by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City High Technology Association. It aims to encourage businesses to voluntarily uphold high standards of product quality and accountability. The initiative has already been introduced across retail distribution systems and food suppliers and is now being expanded to school kitchens to improve transparency and traceability throughout the food supply chain.