Keep food for kids safe: Mayor

BOGOR (JP): Mayor Iswara Natanegara told his staff on Monday to avoid using harmful substances in the food distributed to some 14,700 elementary school students as part of the Extra Food for School Kids scheme.

"I want all parties to pay great attention to sanitation and health in the processing of the food, and avoid the use of substances such as dyes that could affect the children's health," the mayor said during a coordinating meeting of officials in charge of the scheme for the October to December 2000 period.

Iswara said a shortage of funds for the program did not mean the officials were allowed to take shortcuts and use harmful substances in the food.

The head of Bogor's development planning board, Deddy S. Hamdan, said the food, for the most part traditional snacks, would be distributed in stages to students at 46 public elementary schools and Islamic Madrasah Ibtidaiyah elementary schools, plus one Islamic boarding school.

"The schools are located in six districts in Bogor, namely North Bogor, East Bogor, South Bogor, West Bogor, Central and Tanah Sereal.

The officials did not say how much the program cost or where the funds came from. (21/bsr)