Finnish experts call for more discussion about school meals — YLE News
Experts in Finland have called for more active and accurate discussion of school meals, as misconceptions are spreading around them and adults’ words influence children’s attitudes toward food. This was reported by YLE News, citing specialists in public catering and food education.
Maarit Annala, head of food and cleaning services in Seinäjoki, said that open discussion would help correct misunderstandings and reduce hostile attitudes toward school food and the employees who prepare it. Food education expert Sini Laikola stressed that children have almost no influence over the menu offered at school, but they hear how adults talk about dishes.
Additives and spices
The specialists commented on the widespread claim that school food is supposedly packed with E-additives. According to Annala, ingredient lists for products used in public catering have to be carefully analyzed, so their composition may appear more complex than in home cooking. Laikola added that some substances naturally present in products may also be designated with E-codes, and that the overall nutritional quality of the diet is more important for health than the number of individual labels.
Minna Dammert, CEO of Damico, explained that school kitchens purchase certain products, including meatballs, from manufacturers. When selecting such products, attention is usually paid to ensuring a sufficient share of the main raw ingredient and a small number of additives.
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The experts also noted that seasoning school dishes is not prohibited. Restrictions primarily concern salt content in line with dietary recommendations. Dishes are prepared with a moderate flavor, as pupils can add spices themselves. In Laikola’s view, this option may increase satisfaction with food and make it more appealing to children.
Menus, logistics and food from home
Menus cannot be made up only of children’s favorite dishes, as school meals are governed by laws, standards and recommendations, and the diet must remain varied. The experts noted that pupils’ wishes can be included in menus, but they should not be based entirely on them because of the risk of narrowing the diet.
Annala also explained that food quality is worsened not by transportation itself, but by prolonged storage while hot. Food is often transported chilled and pre-prepared, then cooked at the place where it is served. According to her, the use of local products may be limited by logistics, the degree of processing and availability. Dammert estimated the share of domestic products in school meals at about 80%.
Regarding pre-ordering food or switching to homemade snacks, the specialists cautioned that a school meal should not only provide nutrition, but also support equality, introduce children to new flavors and teach the skills of eating together. Dammert proposed holding temporary school restaurants for residents of municipalities several times a year, where they could learn about the principles of meal preparation and taste the dishes.
