Since the launch of the New Scotland school lunch program last September, the Department of Education has received hundreds of presentations of parents who raise concerns about things such as food quality and safety, what ingredients are used in the dishes and if food options attend specific diets.
The forms are contained in a document of 212 PBC pages obtained through a request for freedom of information that has one to three entries per page. The parents sent the forms through the website of the lunch program.
The Pay-We-You-Can has served more than two million meals since September. Families can pay the total cost of $ 6.50 of lunch, part of that price or nothing at all.
“My son is testing new foods in his school with his friends and loves him!” A father wrote. “The images shown in your order system help you choose what you are willing to try every week. We appreciate that this is offered to all students and makes the nutritional choices fun for everyone, regardless of income.”
However, that message was an atypical case, and most focused on frustrations and ways in which parents think the program can be improved.
“The food is often cold, with portions that are too small or little appetizing together,” wrote one of the parents. “Some days, meals have included flaccid vegetables, barely recognizable and fruit too mature, that is almost not edible.
“It is frustrating to see that, instead of improving your day and supporting your health, this program has fallen short to deliver even the basic concepts of a decent meal.”
Amanda Northcott, who directs the school lunch program for the Department of Education, said they receive many positive parents. She said that the number of presentations through the online portal has fallen 68 percent since the launch of the program.
“We are really seeing that feedback with one eye for continuous improvement in the program and what we can do to make the menu acceptable for students, keep the nutritional menu and really try to meet the greatest amount of needs and preferences of children as we can,” Northcott said.
She said that the fact that they have received only a few hundred presentations in relation to the amount of meals that are served show that the program is well received.
In the documents provided to CBC, details such as the names of the people who wrote the messages, their email addresses and the school attended by their child were written, so it is impossible to know if someone wrote multiple emails.
Food quality concerns
A father wrote that the children return home every day with complaints about moldy fruits and foods that cooked and smelled like cigarettes.
For a father, the macaroni with cheese offered the first day of the program at their children’s school worried what the quality of future meals would be like.
“I am not trying to be bad, but Kraft Mac and the cheese in box honestly are gourmet compared,” the father wrote.
A father said his son would eat anything, but the quality of the food left his son annoying.
“Anyone who promises a cheese pizza for children and serves an English muffin with mushrooms should have a long look in the mirror,” the father wrote.
Chicken taco enigma
Food security problems are another popular issue, with the offer of chicken tacos of a day that lead some parents to write. They said that the tacos were delivered in the morning and that the food sat in a hallless hall for approximately four hours.
“I hope we don’t see a group of children with food poisoning,” wrote a father. “This is just a handling of ridiculous foods.”
A father complained about a plate of vegetarian pasta that was frozen in the middle. Nor had enough sauce, they said.
A father said they planned to cancel some nearby orders because the food seemed raw someday.
Northcott said the facilities where food is prepared are allowed and subject to regular inspections.
The ingredients are an important concern for parents, especially related to the diet that their children follow.
“We know that the diets of many children have expanded and that children have exposure to different types of food, so we try to balance that in our current menu to offer a variety of meals,” Northcott said.
Many parents asked if there would be gluten or celiac options, as well as if the food was halal.
Northcott said they are looking to reduce possible allergens in the menu and provide gluten -friendly options.
“We don’t need cheese at each meal,” says the father
A father complained about too much dairy in food options.
“This is ridiculous,” the father wrote. “We don’t need cheese at each meal.”
Another wanted specific details about dairy options.
“I would like to find out if vegetarian meals include milk without dairy products, cheese and sour cream products or real dairy products … also, better ingredient lists for vegetarian options list what real dairy products are (dairy, oatmeal, soybeans, almonds),” they wrote.
A father wrote that his son followed a strict lacting-vegetarian diet, which means they do not eat meat or eggs. They wondered if the cheese was of animal or plant origin, and asked for an image of the cheese label so they could determine that for themselves.
Another father wrote about ordering non -meat options for his two children, complaining that the wrapping of black beans was “full of breast milk”, pointing out the cheese and sour cream it included.
“I am so confused that the Canada Food Guide is clear about the damage that causes eating animal proteins,” they wrote.
Why don’t you offer Goulash?
A father praised the menu but said he was not friendly for children.
“Some of his favorites such as Nuggets, Garlic Pizza, Goulash have not been included and miss them,” the father wrote. “While as an adult, I agree that chickpeas, tofu and other protein sources are excellent, I suspect that most of the children who order will not feel in the same way.”
Another father felt that the food was too diverse.
“Can we get a menu with elements that children really eat?” They wrote. “These are rural children, do not eat ethnic food.”
The school lunch program is offered to about 75,000 students in 268 primary schools throughout the province, with approximately 50 percent participation by students, Northcott said.
This fall, that will expand in 76 schools as secondary and secondary qualifications are added. When that happens, just over 100,000 students will be eligible for the program.
“We really believe that each child deserves access to a healthy and pleasant meal and we are definitely committed to making this a reality for new Scotland students,” Northcott said.
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