Trieu Thi Duyen, deputy head of Tram Tau district’s Education and Training Department, said that the district has 28 boarding schools, with more than 3,000 students following the semi-boarding system. Although not spacious and modern, schools in the district all use clean water, have clean kitchens, and are regularly disinfected in accordance with regulations.

The Primary and Secondary School under Ta Xi Lang Semi-Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities in Ta Xi Lang commune has 427 students, most of them of the Hmong ethnic group who go to school away from home and take meals at school.

Teacher Nguyen Ba Ngoc, the school's principal, said that utensils such as dishes, spoons, chopsticks and trays are always clean. The cooking, preservation and transportation of food all comply with the one-way kitchen process.

Rated as a school with 100 percent of students having their physical and mental health ensured, the Primary School under Yen Thanh Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities in Yen Thanh commune of Yen Binh district currently has 630 students. On average, the school serves over 800 food portions per day.

Thanks to effective investment in facilities and specialised equipment, over the years, the school's kitchen has met the criteria of a model one, with no cases of food poisoning. Vice Principal Ly Xuan Dien said that the kitchen is spacious and clean, and uses clean water. It uses modern equipment such as multi-function rice cookers, water purifiers, separated cabinets for fresh and cooked food, and another for food sample storage.

Well aware of the importance and influence of facilities and kitchen equipment on food safety and hygiene, Vuong Van Bang, Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training, said the sector has increased funding for the construction of semi-boarding kitchens, and mobilised resources to gradually improve facilities in accordance with regulations.

In addition, the department has encouraged schools to be proactive in mobilising resources to better equipment and tools in accordance with regulations to ensure food safety and hygiene.

In order to standardise the quality of meals and ensure adequate nutrition, Yen Bai’s health sector has provided localities with a "menu bank” with 120 sets and 360 nutritionally balanced dishes that can meet the needs of students of each age group. In addition, it regularly coordinates with the education and training sector to disseminate legal knowledge on food safety as well as the harmful effects of unsafe, fake, and substandard food.