The Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality in coordination with the Ministry of Education yesterday started a specific training course for school canteen supervisors in its Al Tawar Center. The course, which will continue until 3rd of July, is aimed at educating the supervisors about the basics and principles of safe food and drinks as well as the importance of food control and its provisions to be followed by the school canteens. Khalid Sherif, Director of Food Control Department said the civic body hopes that this programme will positively contribute in qualifying a group of health supervisors concerned with food safety of school canteens. It would also support food poison monitoring system in schools in addition to creating awareness on the common malpractices in preparing the food and corrective actions in cooperation with the food inspectors of Dubai Municipality. Around 200 supervisors participated in the programme representing different schools in the emirate in Dubai and Basheer Hassan, the food safety expert of municipality is the presenter of course. The course will cover the role of the civic body in ensuring the food safety, terms of food card, validity, food additives, requirements of school canteens and drinking water safety. The civic body and DHA have already jointly issued a manual for school canteens, which encompasses many parts such as food safety, healthy nutrition and related instructions,' Khalid said.