The Japanese Association of School Health

Research Note

ISSN ONLINE : 1880-2400

[School Health Vol.20, 14-25, 2024]

Role of School Pharmacists in Hygiene Management of School Lunches in Japan

Tomoko Inoue*, Yuino Kanehashi**, Tetsuya Yamada**, Kazumaru Yamaguchi**, Rika Shimeno**, Kouji Tominaga***, Noriko Hatanaka***, Masafumi Toyomi***, Akiyoshi Muramatsu*** and Kunihiko Kitagaki**,***

  • *Faculty of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Konan Woman’s University
  • 6-2-23, Morikita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe 658-0001 Japan
  • **Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
  • 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392 Japan
  • kitagaki@toyaku.ac.jp
  • ***School Pharmacist Committee, Japan Pharmaceutical Association
  • 3-3-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160‐8389 Japan

[Received July 27, 2023 ; Accepted March 15, 2024]

Keywords:
school pharmacist, school lunches, on-site kitchens, off-site kitchens, outsourced facility kitchens

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Abstracts

Background: Hygiene management of school lunch in Japan is implemented in accordance with the provisions of the School Lunch Law. Until the School Lunch Law was revised in 2008, hygiene management of school lunches was implemented based on the ‘Standards for School Environmental Hygiene’ and "Standards for School Lunch Hygiene Management", school pharmacists have been involved in the hygiene management of school lunches. These also served as activity guidelines for school pharmacists and no longer included information on the sanitation management of school lunches.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the implementation of the new ‘Standards for School Environmental Hygiene’ may have changed the actual status of school pharmacist involvement.

Method: Using the aggregated results of the 2019 National School Health Survey, we analyzed the involvement of school pharmacists in school lunches from public elementary schools and public junior high schools.

Results: Regarding kitchen type, on-site kitchens in public elementary schools and communal kitchens in public junior high schools were the most common. A high percentage of school pharmacists involved in the hygiene management of school lunches in 2019 had been requested by schools and other entities prior to that time. And they also had experience in conducting inspections.

Conclusion: School pharmacists play important roles in improving the quality of hygiene management in school lunches. To increase their involvement, schools must strengthen cooperation with school pharmacists by calling for their participation in school health committees. Additionally, school pharmacists must appropriately explain the importance of hygiene management in school lunches.

References

  • 1) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan: School Lunch Law. Available at: https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=329AC0000000160. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 2) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan: School Education Law. Available at: https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=322AC0000000026. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 3) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan: Norms for hygienic supervision over school lunches. Available at: https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2009/09/10/1283821_1.pdf. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 4) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan: Standard for School Environment and Hygiene. Available at: https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/kenko/hoken/1353625.htm. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 5) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan: School Health and Safety Law. Available at: https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=333AC0000000056. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 6) Public Interest Incorporated Association Japan Pharmaceutical Association School Pharmacists Association National School Health Survey WG: National School Health Survey Aggregate Results Report. 2019. Available at: https://www.nichiyaku.or.jp/ assets/uploads/activities/activity/2019_report.pdf. Accessed June 1, 2023
  • 7) Japan School Pharmacists Association: National School Health Survey Aggregate Results Report. 2009. Journal of the Japan Pharmaceutical Association 61: 51-62, 2009 (in Japanese)
  • 8) Horikawa I: Relationship between elementary school meals and communities: examining school lunch systems and dietary education. Japanese Journal of Human Geography 72: 403-422, 2020 (in Japanese)
  • 9) Sudo I: School lunch today. The Japanese Journal of Regional Policy Studies 20: 72-73, 2018 (in Japanese)

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