School caterers doubt new rules will improve children’s food choices

New limits on school buffet products may push pupils to buy snacks outside school instead of changing what they eat, school caterers told ERR. They support the goal of healthier choices but say rules alone are not enough.

Requirements for food served in children’s institutions took effect last September, with a transition period lasting a year. The full changes began at the start of this school year and apply to food offered in school cafeterias as well as buffets.

Guidance from the Health Development Institute says at least 80 percent of buffet options should support health. These products should be high in fibre and low in added sugar, salt and saturated fat. Up to 20 percent of the selection may consist of products that meet the requirements with exceptions.

Aaro Lode, managing director of Baltic Restaurants Estonia, said restricting a school buffet would not improve pupils’ diets if they simply went to nearby shops to buy the products no longer sold at school. The company’s experience also does not show that removing some items automatically leads children to choose healthier alternatives, he said.

Inga Paenurm, development manager of the catering division at P. Dussmann Eesti, said she had raised concerns with the institute, several ministries and other relevant authorities. She said pupils were going outside school to buy products that were no longer available at school sales points.

Lode noted that some health-supporting options, including fruit, vegetables, nuts and, in some cases, unflavoured dairy products, are already provided free as part of school meals. He said it was difficult to expect pupils to pay for items they can get at school without charge.

Dussmann wants the institute to provide more precise guidance with examples of products available on the market that schools can offer at affordable prices. Paenurm also called for public information campaigns, saying new requirements affect ingredients, preparation, work organisation, staffing costs and ultimately prices. She said pupils should also be taught why the options on offer are changing.

Lode said schools, parents, buyers and caterers all need to understand the purpose of the changes. Otherwise, he said, misunderstandings and conflicts can arise, leaving caterers to explain the rules on their own.