Third of Spanish schools with too much fried food – studies | Spain

Almost a third of Spain’s school canteens offer the students too many portions of fried foods per week, while more than a third do not provide them with enough fresh vegetables according to A Studied the country’s National Food Agency.

The results based on figures from 2023 are prepared as a socialist government in Spain laws that aim to reduce obesity by aiming at unhealthy, sugary foods and making the recommendations of the food authority mandatory.

A 2019 study found that 40.6% of Spanish children aged six to nine years were over their recommended weight, 17.3% of which were classified as obese.

According to the report, a third of the school menus is not monitored by people with nutritional qualifications, and 29.2% of schools serve three parts of the fried food per week, which exceeds the recommended maximum of two portions. It was also noticeable that more than 70% of the schools did not follow the recommendation to fry food in olive oil or sunflower oil high in olic acid.

In the meantime, 37% of schools serve two or less portions of fresh vegetables a week against the recommended three or four portions. About 7% of school canteens never offer fish, while 16% do not offer the recommended four or five weekly portions of fruit. It also found that a third of the canteens offer four times a week or more cooked dishes.

In the response to the report, the Spain’s Ministry of Consumer and Social Affairs said that it is working on a royal decree that prompt the recommendations of the food authority to “tighten the criteria for the food that are most harmful for health”.

It added: “The royal decree prohibits the portion of sugar -containing drinks – or other alternatives to water – during the school meal. “”

The ministry stated that 99.7% of schools only offered water at meals in 2021, but the percentage had dropped to less than 85% in 2023.

In a post about Bluesky, the Spanish Minister of Consumer Affairs said Pablo Bustinduy that measures had to be taken to stop socio -economic factors that determine the health of children.

“Thirty percent of the canteens serve three or more portions fried food per week.” He wrote. “The royal decree of cantines will determine common criteria that follow the international nutritional standards. The health of childhood cannot depend on postcodes. “

Almost a third of primary school children in Europe are basically Either overweight or obeseWhile almost a quarter of the children are at risk in the EU Poverty or social exclusion.

In October 2023 a According to the coalition of experts, children across Europe had to receive at least one nutritious school meal a day If the governments wanted to tackle the rising obese rates, prevent chronic diseases and reduce social inequalities.

In view of the cost of living that many families on the continent beyond breaking point stretch every day.

“As soon as you say that every child has to get a healthy school meal every day – be it rich, poor, in a disadvantaged neighborhood or wherever – this is a minimum standard that makes a lot of sense in Europe” Peter Defranceschi, a member of the Schoyolfood4change project.