“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”

 

 

Hippokrates (Ancient Greek Physician)

 

 

Food services at the school are provided by reputable firms through contractual agreements renewable periodically. Food services are currently provided by SOFRA A.Ş. (www.sofrayemek.com.tr), a subsidiary of the partnership of hizmetiCO and the UK STFA-Compass  Group.

 

SOFRA provides food production and services according to Turkish and international standards and has the following food production quality certifications: ISO 9001:2000, TS EN 22000, TS OHSAS 18001, TSE Compliance Certificate, TS EN ISO 14001, SA 8000.

 

SOFRA has adapted and implemented the “Eat-Learn-Live" program to Turkey. This program was especially developed for schools by SOFRA’s international partners with the aim of helping children build the foundations of a long and happy life by eating a healthy and balanced diet. As part of this program, which was designed to help students make a healthy choice at mealtimes, a series of seminars at schools was introduced, aimed at students, parents and school administrators.

 

In line with the requirements of quality management system standards, the company follows all relevant rules and procedures throughout the entire food service process, from the menu planning stage to serving food and retaining samples.

 

Ingredients used are supplied by Turkey's best companies and suppliers are inspected regularly.

 

Menus include seasonal fruit and vegetables and are designed according to the recommended calorie intake of our students and healthy and balanced nutrition policies. Menus should be both tasty and appealing to our students and therefore care is taken that food on the menu also looks appetizing.

 

No saturated fats, such as butter or margarine, which have detrimental effects on the heart and blood vessels, are used in our food. In their place we use vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, corn oil and olive oil, which contain unsaturated fat and are rich in Omega-3. Margarine is only used in pastry products.

 

We fry food as little as possible, preferring instead to roast, grill or boil food.

 

We limit our use of ingredients with additives or of canned foods. We do not use any food coloring, artificial sweeteners or flavoring in our food preparation.

 

When the weather is hot (May-November) we do not use any ingredients that could cause a risk due to their preparation technique. We refrain from using certain high risk foods in our menus at any time of the year.

 

The kitchen and kitchen personnel undergo regular hygiene inspections by internal and external inspectors. The team is also ready to be inspected by the school administration at any time. Products used for cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen are supplied by internationally certified companies and the daily disinfection process is regularly recorded.

 

Menus are prepared by the Food Committee, which is made up by the SOFRA project manager and head chef, a student representative, a Parent Association representative, the school doctor, a representative of the school administration and one teacher. A selection of six dishes is offered, from which four can be chosen. Any changes to the menu must be approved by the food committee.

 

SOFRA is required to keep for 72 hours a sample of all food that is prepared. In the event of food poisoning, SOFRA is responsible for damages against social security authority. The company commits to providing food and services in compliance with Turkish Food Regulations and guarantees that food services will not be disrupted for reasons caused by its personnel. The company underwrites any claims for damages against people that it serves in the school. The policy limit is £1,000,000.

 

Responsibilities of the Food Service Provider:

• The company will serve food that has been prepared in healthy and hygienic conditions, at times determined by the school.
• Services will be provided by high-quality and professional personnel.
• One or more project managers will be in school to ensure that the service is provided without disruption and to ensure communication between the school and the company.
• Personnel at the school will be inspected at least once a week.
• The company will provide food service personnel with uniforms.

 

Responsibilities of the School:

• The school will examine and approve the menu prepared by the food committee.
• The company representative will be informed, one day in advance, of the number of people for whom food is to be provided.
• The company will be informed by 16.00 of the number of staff who will work overtime to provide later food service.
• The school will ensure that the kitchen and dining areas are ready for inspection under the Turkish Food Regulations and Public Health Law.