In a quarter of school canteens, violations of healthy nutrition standards were found.
This was announced by Vladyslava Magaletska, Head of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, during a seminar on school catering reform.
According to her, since the beginning of the year, more than 3,500 daily school menus have been analysed. In 800 cases (23%), violations of healthy eating standards were identified.
In addition, last year's inspections showed that every second school had violations related to unsatisfactory material and technical conditions, inadequate water supply, lack of quality drinking water and other problems.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reminds that from 1 January, a new Sanitary Regulation for general secondary education institutions will be in force.
«The most important thing that distinguishes this document from the 2001 sanitary rules is the new approaches to catering. The document's requirements are based on the principles of healthy eating recommended by the World Health Organisation. Schoolchildren will be able to feel the changes as early as 1 September this year,» the State Service for Food Safety emphasises.
As you know, the new Sanitary Regulations set out requirements for food products and ready-to-eat meals that can be offered to children. In particular, it provides for a number of restrictions on the content of salt, sugar and fat, taking into account current trends in healthy eating and WHO recommendations.
