In North Macedonia there is no national school meal programme but there are nutrition standards for guiding the menu development. Efforts are being made to control other types of school food like those provided by school cafeterias or tuck shop vendors in and around the school premises.
School Food
North Macedonia has a school meal programme that provides daily meals and snacks to schoolchildren. The programme is overseen by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Since 2005, the programme has operated in a decentralized manner, with each municipality responsible for its implementation.
Depending on their time spent at school and their age (up to grade 3), students can receive up to two main meals (breakfast and lunch) and two snacks (mid-morning and mid-afternoon). Parents are required to pay for the school meals, though subsidies are available, depending on each municipality’s procedures. School meals and snacks are prepared either on-site or off-site by private caterers.
In 2020, the Ministry of Education and Science published nutrition standards for school meals in elementary schools, providing comprehensive examples of how these (specifically breakfast and lunch) should be prepared.
The main characteristics of the nutrition standards for school meals are summarized below:
| School food covered | Caterers, food handlers |
| Objectives | Meals provided as part of the school meal programme |
| Basis | To prevent improper nutrition among schoolchildren in all its forms (malnutrition, overweight and obesity) and other chronic diseases related to nutrition) |
| Food groups covered | Food and nutrient-based |
| Other guidance included | Milk and milk products; meat, poultry, eggs, legumes; fish, cereals and cereals products, vegetables and fruits, foods with fats and simple sugars; and water |
Development process of the nutrition standards for school meals
The nutrition standards were developed by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF, Studiorum (Centre for Regional Policy Research and Cooperation, a national NGO), nutritionists from the University of Bitola, the Faculty of Technology in Veles and the Public Health Institute.
In developing these standards, the group examined standards and experiences of neighbouring countries and EU member states including Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece, as well as the latest data on the nutritional status of schoolchildren in the country.
The standards have been developed based on the National Dietary Guidelines, a rulebook on the special requirements for the safety of Dietary Supplements, and the recommendations of the World Health Organization. These standards are legally binding and mandatory for cooking staff to follow. At the local level, caterers develop menus according to these guidelines. In some cases, municipalities outsource nutritionists to develop the menus.
Implementation of the nutrition standards for school meals
There is no specific implementation plan for the nutrition standards in North Macedonia but a draft guidance document outlines their correct application. This guidance includes examples of food preparation methods, food frequency recommendations for developing weekly menus, two examples of seasonal menus (autumn/winter, spring/summer) for breakfast and lunch, as well as snack examples.
No specific training has been conducted with school cooks or catering services regarding these standards.
Monitoring and Evaluation of the nutrition standards for school meals
There is no official monitoring and evaluation plan in place to ensure compliance with the nutrition standards. The Ministry of Health, through the Centers of Public Health, conducts regular assessments of the quality of school meals served as part of the National Annual Programme of Public Health Provisions. However, this process is not consistently carried out, as not all municipalities collect and provide samples for testing. The National Annual Programme of Public Health in Nutrition includes activities specifically focused on assessing the nutritional value of school meals.
Additionally, the Institute of Public Health conducts anthropometric assessments on children aged 4 to 15, as well as food consumption surveys, and food intake assessments for various vulnerable populations, including schoolchildren, preschoolers, the elderly, and hospitals patients.
In North Macedonia, schools have cafeterias and tuck shops operating inside their premises. As of 2023, the Institute of Public Health is working to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy school food environment as the standars do not cover these types of school meals. Efforts include initiatives to introduce nutrient profiling for regulating foods sold in schools.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy is implementing a programme for schools in accordance with the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development. Through this programme, fruits such as apricots, peaches, plums, pears, and apples will be delivered to preschool children from June 15 to December 15, 2024. The goal of this programme is to encourage healthy eating habits in preschool children.