School cafeterias in Slovakia will now stop serving fried food, pates, hamburgers and dishes with mayonnaise. Drinks containing caffeine, taurine, quinine or sugar in excess of 5g/100ml will also be excluded.
Such an order was issued on March 15 to instill better eating habits and prevent health problems in children, teenagers.
Statistics for 2022 show that over 12,000 obese children have been reported. In this regard, it was decided to pay attention to the assortment in school canteens and buffets.
Along with eliminating junk food, buffets are required to offer children fresh vegetables, fruits, beverages, natural juices without preservatives and meat products with at least 80% meat content.
Children spend a significant portion of the day at school. Therefore, experts expect that this change in meals will help children make healthier choices and shift to a healthier eating pattern.
Regional health authorities will control the assortment of buffets. It is taken into account that some changes take time, so they will be introduced gradually until the end of the school year.
