Overview
Why the guidelines were strengthened
In 2017 the Ministry of Education, with the Ministry of Health, prohibited the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. National school health survey data showed the share of secondary students drinking sugary drinks daily fell from 74.6% in 2011 to 49.4% in 2017. Too much sugar, salt, unhealthy fat and caffeine in children's diets raises their risk of obesity, high blood pressure and other long-term illness, and many common snacks and drinks contain more sugar and salt than a child should have in a whole day.
Building on that first step, the Ministries issued strengthened guidelines on 31 December 2025 that cover the wider school food environment: packaged snacks, cooked meals, beverages, special events and the marketing of food in schools. They follow World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization guidance, and they are being introduced in stages so that schools, cafeteria operators, vendors and manufacturers have time to adjust.
What this means for you
Choose the description that fits you best.
Cafeteria concessionaires and vendors
From September 2026 you are asked to stop selling sugary and energy drinks, confectionery that does not meet the guidelines, and any packaged item without a Nutrition Facts label in English, and to remove posters or promotions for products that are not compliant. Everything you sell should be in single-serve portions.
Snacks you prepare yourself (chows, muffins, pastries) follow the same limits as packaged snacks, and you should be able to show a recipe or a bakery label. Cooked meals should offer vegetables, a starch and a lean protein, with a vegetarian option every day.
Start here
- Term I checklist — the things to do now.
- Product checker — test any packaged item against the limits.
- Item lookup — see which stage an item falls under.
- Roll-out plan — training and support coming in Term II.
Manufacturers and distributors
Packaged snacks and beverages sold in schools must meet four nutrient limits per single-serve item, carry a Nutrition Facts label in English and contain no sugar substitutes. Full compliance for all packaged snacks, beverages, bakery items and labels is required by the end of Term III (July 2027), when school-approved product registration begins.
The phased schedule is designed to give time for reformulation, testing, packaging and labelling changes. Products that meet the guidelines will be eligible for “School-Approved” status.
Start here
- The product design brief — the limits in one place.
- Product checker — test a formulation.
- Roll-out plan — what is removed in each term.
- Contact — where to send technical questions.
Principals and teachers
Principals, School Supervisors and Denominational Boards or School Managers are responsible for ensuring the guidelines are upheld. Principals are asked to share the circulars with all concessionaires, tuck shop operators, vendors and the PTA, to evaluate cafeteria and vendor offerings each term, and to allow periodic spot checks by district health and education officers.
Exemptions for cultural celebrations, Home Economics activities and up to three fundraising events per term are at the Principal's discretion. Only healthy food and drink may be promoted on the compound.
Start here
- The guidelines — approved and non-permitted items by category.
- Roll-out plan — what applies this term.
- Questions — events, fundraisers, food from home.
- Documents — read the compiled extract of the guidelines.
Parents and guardians
Meals and snacks brought from home for your child's own use are not covered by the guidelines — what you pack remains your choice. The Ministry does, however, strongly encourage every parent and guardian to adopt the guidelines at home and to be conscious of healthy eating and an active lifestyle for the whole family. The evidence is clear: children who eat well tend not only to be healthier, but to concentrate better and perform better at school. The change also works best when what a child finds in the lunch kit matches what the school offers.
Over the school year, cafeterias and vendors will stop selling sugary drinks, sweets, salted and sugar-preserved fruits and ice-cream products, and packaged snacks will have to meet limits on calories, sugars, fat and sodium. Schools are encouraged to keep teaching nutrition across the curriculum, to maintain school gardens and to host parent workshops.
Simple ways to follow the guidelines at home
- Pack water rather than sweet drinks; 100% juice in a small portion.
- Fresh fruit, unsweetened chows, roasted or unsalted nuts and channa, and air-popped popcorn make easy snacks.
- Whole-grain sandwiches with protein-rich fillings; yogurt with less than 13 g of sugar.
- Choose baked, grilled, steamed or boiled foods over fried, and keep sweets and preserved fruits for occasional treats.
- Read the Nutrition Facts label — the product checker works for lunch-kit snacks too.
Start here
- The guidelines — what your child can buy at school.
- Roll-out plan — what changes and when.
- Questions — food from home, school events.
The guidelines
What may and may not be sold or served
The standards below apply to all food and drink sold or distributed on the compound of Government and Government-Assisted primary and secondary schools, as set out in Circular Memorandum No. 17 of 2025. Private schools are encouraged to adopt them.
Permitted beverages
250 ml secondary
200 ml / 250 ml
(13 g per 200 ml)
Milk products such as yogurt: less than 13 g total sugar per portion.
Not permitted
- Soft drinks.
- Flavoured waters with added sugars.
- Juice drinks with added sugars.
- Energy drinks and sports drinks.
- Tea with added sugar.
- Caffeinated beverages.
- Any beverage containing sugar substitutes (for example stevia, sucralose, allulose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium).
Every packaged snack must stay within all four limits
- Sold in single-serve portions only.
- Must carry a Nutrition Facts label in English.
- Must contain no sugar substitutes (stevia, sucralose, allulose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and similar).
- Fruits preserved in sugar or salt are not permitted.
Multi-packs. Individually wrapped small items whose outer package carries the Nutrition Facts panel may be sold if the outer package is kept on display at the point of sale, the information is visible to students and staff, and the product meets the limits.
Snacks you make or resell unpackaged (chows, muffins, pastries) must meet the same limits, and you should be able to show evidence — a bakery label or the recipe.
Encouraged
Examples that do not meet the guidelines
- Red mango, preserved plum, pommecythere, cherry, series, tamarind, apricot; salted prune; jams and jellies.
- Sugar cake, toolum, tamarind ball, kurma, barfi, ladoo, jalebi.
- Iced or cream-filled cakes; chocolate-covered or sugar-coated biscuits; brownies, Danish pastry, doughnuts, iced and sugar cookies.
- Hard candy, liquid candy syrup, marshmallows, wafers, mints, fudge, toffee, chewing gum, gummy bears, jub jub, chocolate bars.
- Syrup-based slushies (100% fruit or vegetable versions are a healthier option).
- Caramel or candied popcorn; microwave popcorn; heavily salted nuts and channa; candied, honey-roasted or chocolate-coated nuts.
- Fried potato crisps, cheese sticks, corn curls and balls.
- Ice cream, ice-cream lollies and bars, and frozen treats high in sugar.
Meals cooked on site or brought in for sale
- Include a balance of fruits or vegetables, a starchy food and a lean protein.
- Season with fresh or dried herbs and spices, including salt-free all-purpose seasonings.
- Prefer baking, grilling, roasting, steaming or boiling.
- Offer a vegetarian option at every serving occasion, all week.
- Burgers and nuggets may be a daily lunch option only if the patties or nuggets are freshly prepared from 90–95% lean beef, 90–95% skinless chicken, or 90–95% fresh fish. Pre-packaged patties and nuggets must meet the fat, sodium and sugar limits.
How often, across the week
A serving occasion is one service opportunity — breakfast, break or lunch. A school that serves all three has 15 serving occasions a week.
- Iron-rich foods
- At least 5 serving occasions a week, served with a vitamin C food to help absorption.
- Legumes (peas and beans)
- On the regular menu for at least 4 serving occasions a week.
- Deep-fried and other high-fat foods
- No more than 6 serving occasions a week.
High-fat examples: French fries and fried potatoes, fried chicken, fried fish, fried pies, pastries and other pastry-dough items, fried bakes, paratha roti, deli and luncheon meats, ham, hot dogs, sausages, pizza.
Special events and fundraisers
All food and drink sold or distributed at school or on the compound should follow the guidelines. The Principal may allow exemptions for:
- Cultural celebrations (for example Carnival, Eid, Divali, Easter, Christmas).
- Curriculum-based cooking or Home Economics activities.
- Sports days, school bazaars or special fundraisers — up to 3 times per term.
- Meals and snacks brought from home for personal consumption.
Marketing and promotion
These are prohibited for foods and beverages that do not meet the guidelines:
- Posters, signs, mascots or giveaways promoting non-compliant products.
- Sponsorship of school events, uniforms, teams or materials by brands directly advertising non-compliant products.
- Branded merchandise or digital content targeting students.
Only healthy food and beverage items may be promoted within the school environment.
Product checker
Does this product meet the limits?
Enter the figures from the product's Nutrition Facts label for one serving. The checker applies the limits in Circular Memorandum No. 17 of 2025 and shows which criteria pass or fail. It is a guide to help you read a label; the Ministry's product review process remains the authority.
Roll-out plan
The phased implementation, 2026/2027
Circular Memorandum No. 34 of 2026 sets out a staged approach so that the clearest cases are dealt with first while cafeterias adjust menus and manufacturers reformulate products. Each stage builds on the previous one; nothing removed in an earlier term comes back later.
Preparation
- Guidelines issued to all schools (31 Dec 2025).
- Principals and supervisors briefed.
- Manufacturers and distributors sensitised.
- Baseline survey of school cafeterias.
- Pilot training with cafeteria operators.
Short-term measures
- Continue to remove sugary drinks and energy drinks.
- Remove confectionery that does not meet the guidelines.
- Remove all unlabelled packaged items, or items not labelled in English.
- Stop all marketing of non-compliant products in schools.
Medium-term measures
- Phase out high-sugar traditional snacks.
- Remove non-compliant iced and cream products.
- Remove salted and sugar-preserved fruits.
- Remove all products with non-nutritive sweeteners.
- Reduce how often fried items are sold.
Full compliance
- Full compliance required for all packaged snacks, beverages, bakery items, meal components and labels.
- School-approved product registration begins.
Support alongside each stage
The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the National Schools Dietary Services Limited are producing practical tools for operators as the stages progress.
Term I
- Briefing sessions for cafeteria concessionaires and vendors.
- Practical guidance on what can be sold, with illustrated materials for cafeterias.
- Baseline information collected to guide future support.
Term II
- District-based training for cafeteria operators and vendors: basic nutrition and portions; meal planning and reading labels; food safety.
- Operator handbook and a recipe booklet with costed, scaled recipes.
- Follow-up question-and-answer sessions.
Term III
- Manufacturers submit products for review.
- A list of school-compliant products is compiled to guide schools and vendors.
- End-of-year review of implementation.
Product categories by stage
| Category | Examples, including local items | Removed from sale |
|---|---|---|
| Confectionery | Hard candy, lollipops, mints, liquid candy syrup, chewing gum, gummy bears, jub jub, marshmallows, fudge, toffee, chocolate candy bars, chocolate-covered sweets, wafers, sugar-coated biscuits and cookies. | Term I |
| Unlabelled items | Any packaged item without a Nutrition Facts label, or with a label not in English. | Term I |
| Salted and sugar-preserved fruits | Red mango, salted mango, preserved and salted plum, salted prune, red or preserved pommecythere, preserved cherry, preserved series, tamarind balls with salt or sugar, salted tamarind, preserved apricot, fruit chows with excess salt or sweet sauces. | Term II |
| High-sugar traditional snacks | Sugar cake, toolum, tamarind ball, barfi, ladoo, jalebi, kurma, sweet rice-based and sweet coconut-based snacks, fudge, sweetened channa and nuts, candied or honey-roasted nuts. | Term II |
| Ice-cream products and high-sugar frozen treats | Ice cream cups, cones, bars and lollies, sweetened frozen lollies, syrup-based slushies, freezies, snow cones with syrup, frozen sweetened drinks, high-sugar yogurt pops, cream-filled frozen desserts. | Term II |
| Products with non-nutritive sweeteners | Any food or drink sweetened with stevia, sucralose, allulose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium or similar. | Term II |
| All other packaged snacks, beverages, bakery items and meal components | Must meet the nutrient limits and labelling requirements in full. | By July 2027 |
Item lookup
Which stage does an item fall under?
Type the name of a food or drink to see how the guidelines treat it and when the change applies.
| Item | Treatment | When | Notes |
|---|
Cafeteria concessionaires and vendors
Getting ready for Term I
These are the immediate requirements for the current term. Tick each item as you complete it; the list is for your own use and is not submitted anywhere.
Term I checklist
0 of 6 complete
Practical pointers from the guidelines
- Read the label first. Calories, total sugars, total fat and sodium are all on the Nutrition Facts panel. Multiply fat grams by 9 to get calories from fat, then compare with total calories — it must be 30% or less. The product checker does this for you.
- Home-made counts too. Chows, muffins and pastries you prepare must meet the same limits as packaged snacks. Keep the recipe or the bakery's label so you can show it.
- Plan the week, not the day. With breakfast, break and lunch there are 15 serving occasions. Iron-rich foods at least 5, legumes at least 4, deep-fried or high-fat items no more than 6.
- Cook it differently. Baking, grilling, roasting, steaming and boiling are preferred. Season with herbs, spices and salt-free blends.
- Fresh is simplest. Fresh fruit, unsweetened chows, roasted or unsalted nuts and channa, air-popped popcorn and whole-grain sandwiches are all encouraged.
- Support is coming. District training, a handbook and a costed recipe booklet are scheduled for Term II. Details will be sent through your school.
Manufacturers and distributors
The product design brief
Products that meet the guidelines have access to the school market. The brief is short, and it applies per single-serve item as sold.
Beverages: only water, unsweetened coconut water, 100% fruit juice (200 ml / 250 ml) and milk or plant-based milk beverages under 16 g total sugar per 250 ml are permitted. Milk products must be under 13 g total sugar.
Timeline and what happens next
- Now: confectionery, unlabelled or non-English-labelled products and non-compliant marketing are being removed from schools.
- January – March 2027: high-sugar traditional snacks, preserved fruits, iced and cream products, and products with non-nutritive sweeteners are phased out.
- By July 2027: full compliance is required for all packaged snacks, beverages, bakery items and labels. School-approved product registration begins; products that meet the guidelines will be eligible for “School-Approved” status.
- Technical questions about reformulation and product assessment should be sent through the contact point below, so that every manufacturer receives the same guidance.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do the guidelines apply to food my child brings from home?
No. Meals and snacks brought from home for personal consumption are exempt; the guidelines govern what is sold or distributed on the school compound. The Ministry nevertheless strongly encourages parents and guardians to follow the same guidelines at home. Children who eat well tend not only to be healthier but to concentrate better and perform better at school, and the encouraged items — water, fresh fruit, unsweetened chows, unsalted nuts and channa, air-popped popcorn, whole-grain sandwiches and low-sugar yogurt — are a practical starting point for the lunch kit.
Which schools are covered?
All Government and Government-Assisted primary and secondary schools. The portion sizes also reference ECCE settings. Private schools are encouraged to adopt the guidelines.
When does everything have to comply?
In stages. From Term I (September 2026) sugary and energy drinks, non-compliant confectionery, unlabelled or non-English-labelled items and marketing of non-compliant products are removed. From Term II (January 2027) high-sugar traditional snacks, preserved fruits, iced and cream products and products with non-nutritive sweeteners are phased out and fried items are sold less often. By the end of Term III (July 2027) all packaged snacks, beverages, bakery items, meal components and labels must comply in full.
Can I sell multi-packs of small items?
Yes, provided the outer package carrying the Nutrition Facts label is kept on display at the point of sale, the information is visible to students and staff, and the product meets the nutrient limits.
What about snacks I make myself, or buy unpackaged from a bakery?
They must meet the same limits as packaged snacks — 200 kcal, 13 g total sugars, 30% of calories from fat and 200 mg sodium per item — and you should be able to show evidence, such as the bakery's nutrition label or your recipe.
How often can fried foods be sold?
Under the circular, deep-fried foods and other high-fat products may be served on no more than six serving occasions a week, counting breakfast, break and lunch as separate occasions. Term II of the roll-out asks cafeterias to reduce how often fried items are sold.
What sizes of juice and coconut water are allowed?
100% fruit juice and unsweetened coconut water may be sold in 200 ml portions at ECCE and primary schools and 250 ml portions at secondary schools.
Are sports days, bazaars and fundraisers exempt?
The Principal may allow exemptions for sports days, school bazaars or special fundraisers up to three times per term, for cultural celebrations such as Carnival, Eid, Divali, Easter and Christmas, and for curriculum-based cooking or Home Economics activities.
Can brands still sponsor school events or teams?
Not if the brand directly advertises non-compliant products. Posters, signs, mascots, giveaways, branded merchandise and digital content promoting non-compliant products are prohibited on the compound. Only healthy food and beverage items may be promoted.
Who checks that the guidelines are being followed?
Principals, School Supervisors and Denominational Boards or School Managers are responsible for ensuring the guidelines are upheld. Schools evaluate cafeteria and vendor offerings each term and allow periodic spot checks by district health and education officers.
How do manufacturers get a product approved?
School-approved product registration begins at the end of Term III (July 2027). Until then, the most useful step is to reformulate to the four limits, remove sugar substitutes and ensure single-serve packs carry a Nutrition Facts label in English. Details of the submission and review process will be communicated to manufacturers and distributors.
Where can I send a question?
Use the contact details in the section below. Questions from concessionaires and vendors may also be raised through your school's Principal.
Documents and contact
Read the guidelines in full
A single extract compiles the nutrition standards and the phased implementation schedule from the Ministry's circular memoranda.
Questions and technical enquiries
Education Health Services Unit, Ministry of Education, Education Towers, No. 5 St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
Telephone: 868-622-2181 (Ministry of Education).
E-mail: designated address to be confirmed