Experts urge more discussion of school meals and food talk

School meal experts say public discussion about school food is often shaped by misunderstandings and even hostility, Yle reports. They also warn that the way adults talk about food can influence children’s attitudes and expectations.

A Yle article published earlier this week about requests for special diets at school collected hundreds of comments.

Maarit Annala, head of food and cleaning services in Seinäjoki, said misunderstandings often arise in discussions about school meals. More discussion is needed, she said, including about how people talk about the food.

“That would also make it possible to correct misunderstandings and reduce hostility towards school food and the people who prepare it. Hostility does not increase participation in school meals,” Annala said.

Sini Laikola, a food education expert at the Ruukku food education association, said the way adults speak affects children’s attitudes and expectations.

“Children have very little influence over what is served at school, but they certainly hear how adults talk about food,” Laikola said.

Minna Dammert, chief executive of Damico, which prepares food education plans for municipalities, suggested that food service providers could organise a pop-up school restaurant a couple of times a year. Residents could learn about the principles of preparing the food and taste school meals, she said.

Five claims about school meals

Yle asked Annala, Dammert and Laikola to comment on five claims about school meals that emerged in the discussion of the earlier article.

School food is full of E numbers

Annala said public food services must examine the ingredient lists of products in detail. At home, people may think mashed potatoes contain only potatoes, margarine, milk and salt. In food services, the same ingredients may be described differently, she said.

An E number is a letter and number code used in the European Union to identify approved food additives. An E number means that the additive has passed safety tests and has been approved for use, according to the European Food Safety Authority.

Dammert said schools cannot prepare formed products such as meatballs in their own kitchens, so they are bought from companies. Products generally qualify for use when they contain a sufficient proportion of the main ingredient and only small amounts of additives.

If meals follow the plate model, the amount of additives remains moderate, she said.

Laikola said many substances that occur naturally in food can appear in ingredient lists as E numbers. From a health perspective, nutritional quality is more important than the number of individual E numbers, she said.

Seasoning school food is banned

Annala said seasoning is not banned, but salt levels are restricted, for example by nutritional recommendations. Products are generally given fairly mild flavours because seasoning can be added by diners but not removed, she said.

Dammert said meals prepared for large numbers of people require a compromise. Some dishes should be possible to season, for example with seasoned oils. Ketchup should not be used to enhance every dish, she said.

Laikola said allowing pupils to add seasoning according to their own taste can increase both satisfaction and the appeal of the food. Seasoning is also a skill that children learn, she said.

Why not build menus around children’s favourite foods?

Annala said school meals are governed by numerous laws, regulations and recommendations. If only children’s favourite foods were to be served, the legislation would first have to be revised, she said.

Dammert said school food should be varied. Part of food education is learning to eat foods that may not initially be among one’s favourites, she said. Skipping the meal or relying on a separate cooking station should not be alternatives.

Laikola said basing menus on favourite foods would probably make diets less varied. The aim is not to choose between variety and taste, she said, but to find a balance between them.