Parents and city council clash over new school meal regulations limiting meat dishes
A Ministry of Health regulation cutting weekly meat servings in school cafeterias to two has sparked protests from parents and Warsaw councilors who say children are going hungry.
The Ministry of Health issued a regulation that limits meat dishes in school canteens to two per one outlet, substituting them with more plant-based meals, beans and vegetable broth soups to address obesity and promote health. Journalists visiting schools reported that pupils often reject the new meals, leaving plates in the trash, while some parents take their children home early, fearing a lack of food for the rest of the week.
Warsaw councilors from PiS labeled the policy a scandal, criticizing the reduction of meat and the lack of parental consultation. PiS leader Sebastian Kaleta added that the cafeterias are merely filling waste bins. The opposition coalition counters that lunch sales in the capital have remained stable and that parents may submit their own menu proposals. The controversy has escalated into a broader national protest organized with the Ordo Iuris institute, and a petition is circulating demanding changes to the regulation.
