General Order No. OMS488/834/2025 of the Ministry of Health On the organization and ensuring of nutritional health of children and students in general education institutions.

The General Order aims to ensure a balanced, healthy diet adapted to the nutritional needs of children and pupils, to promote principles of balanced nutrition and healthy eating habits, to establish requirements for model menus, and to align national practice with international norms and standards, including recommendations of WHO and UNICEF. It applies to pre-school institutions, general education institutions with different levels or integrated programs, primary and secondary schools (cycle I and II), and holiday camps. The Regulation defines general principles for organizing nutrition, including the use of the healthy plate model and the food pyramid, mandatory inclusion of a wide variety of foods from basic groups, provision of appropriate caloric, macro- and micronutrient intake by age, and adequate hydration. It sets detailed rules on the number of meals and distribution of daily energy intake according to type of institution and length of stay, and establishes that foods sold on school premises must be selected exclusively from a list of permitted products. It regulates the elaboration of 10 day model menus by institutions or catering providers, differentiated by age group and type of institution, taking into account seasonal variations and using model menus annexed to the Regulation. It prescribes principles for daily menu planning, including recommended macronutrient ratios, reference tables for energy and nutrient distribution by meal, daily quantities of foods, minerals and vitamins, limits for added sugars, salt and trans fats, and rules for equivalent substitution of foods. Implementation provisions assign responsibilities to the National Agency for Public Health and its territorial subdivisions for informing specialists, monitoring the nutritional status of children, training medical and food service staff, and proposing improvements to local authorities. Directors of institutions and holiday camps must implement the Order, ensure correct menu planning, evaluate nutrition and nutritional status, enter data into the Education Management Information System, and periodically report standardized data to territorial public health subdivisions according to specified deadlines. The Regulation also requires technological sheets for all dishes, provides for adapted diets for children with medically confirmed food intolerances within procurement limits, and sets out methods for physiological-hygienic assessment of nutrition through analysis of menus, accumulation lists, and comparison with physiological norms.