School kitchens, salaried cooks: PSP’s Stephanie Tan proposes alternative to current central kitchen model

‘Meals would be freshly prepared on-site’: PSP proposes school-based central kitchens following River Valley Primary incident

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has renewed its call for central kitchens to operate within individual schools, following a suspected food poisoning incident involving 60 pupils at River Valley Primary School (RVPS).

The pupils reportedly developed gastroenteritis after consuming meals provided under the central kitchen model, a system rolled out by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to address difficulties in attracting and retaining school canteen vendors.

Source: Google Maps

PSP raises food safety concerns after RVPS incident

In a Facebook post on 16 Jan, PSP Central Executive Committee member Stephanie Tan said she was “deeply concerned” by the incident.

“Food safety now adds to the growing list of concerns about the new central kitchen meal model,” she wrote, noting that students had already expressed dissatisfaction with the “taste and quality of packed bentos and food dispensing lockers”.

She added that operators had previously faced questions over whether preparing food off-site could compromise freshness and quality, saying: “These fears have apparently been realised.”

Source: u/taenyfan95 on Reddit

The argument for a central kitchen in Singapore schools

Ms Tan said PSP had proposed an alternative model as early as Oct 2025, where central kitchens would be located within each school rather than operating from industrial facilities.

Under this approach, meals would be cooked fresh on-site, significantly reducing the time between preparation and consumption.

“The school kitchen will also have facilities to keep cooked food heated and warm until it is consumed, thereby greatly reducing the risk of food going bad,” she told MS News.

Ms Tan pointed to a CNA report on a central kitchen in Tuas, where cooking reportedly began before 5am, with meals transported to schools by 7am and consumed between 9am and 10am.

“There is a significant time interval between preparation and consumption,” she said, warning that once food is portioned into individual boxes, cooling begins and bacteria can multiply.

Source: u/taenyfan95 on Reddit

Ms Tan added that this alternative model would also remove the need for single-use plastic bento boxes, improving both the eating experience and environmental sustainability, while still allowing for halal, non-halal and vegetarian options.

“MOE could also consider adopting principles of ‘shokuiku’ that are used in Japan, where school lunches are seen as part of food and nutrition education,” she said.

Addressing the canteen vendor shortage

The current central kitchen model, which involves meals prepared off-site by a single operator and delivered to schools, was introduced to address vendor shortages amid rising costs and tight price controls in school canteens.

“Many schools are currently facing difficulties finding new canteen operators because this is seen as a low-profit business venture with long hours and a lack of income during school holidays,” said Ms Tan to MS News.

“A fixed monthly salary would resolve these issues.”

Source: Marsiling Primary School

The alternative central kitchen model would see schools possibly hiring former canteen operators to be cooks.

These individuals would be paid a monthly salary, a cost that would be covered by the education ministry.

Meanwhile, the cost of ingredients would fall on students and parents, added Ms Tan.

Concerns over loss of canteen culture

Beyond food safety, Ms Tan stressed the social value of school canteens, describing canteen “uncles” and “aunties” as a “human touch” that would be sorely missed.

Source: Stephanie Tan 陈芬妮 on Facebook

“For many students, their school canteen is also the first place they learnt to buy things on their own and manage their own expenses,” she wrote, calling these “precious holistic developmental experiences”.

She added that school canteens have long been a microcosm of Singapore’s hawker culture, exposing students to a variety of local dishes from a young age.

Ms Tan said PSP hopes education minister Desmond Lee will “urgently look into alternatives” to the current central kitchen meal model.

Also read: 60 River Valley Primary School pupils develop gastroenteritis after eating lunch from central kitchen

60 River Valley Primary School pupils develop gastroenteritis after eating lunch from central kitchen