Following an inspection of school meals at 510 schools in the Odesa region, 173 orders were issued

In the Odesa region, experts inspected food service operations at 510 schools across the region. As a result, as of October 21, 2026, the experts issued 173 orders to rectify the identified violations of sanitary and epidemiological standards. 

This was reported by the Main Directorate of the State Food and Consumer Service in the Odesa region. 

Unscheduled inspections of schools regarding the organization of meals for children began on September 8, 2026, at the direction of the Prime Minister of Ukraine and in accordance with a letter from the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

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As of October 16, specialists from the State Food and Consumer Service in Odesa Oblast had inspected 478 educational institutions in the region. They issued 157 orders requiring the mandatory correction of violations identified in school cafeterias.

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Among the most common violations recorded by inspectors during the inspections were:

• failure to adhere to the approved and agreed-upon long-term menu;
• improper storage of food products;
• failure to comply with established nutritional standards for specific food groups.

Typical shortcomings included improper maintenance of required documentation in food service facilities, particularly inspection logs for prepared meals and raw ingredients received from suppliers.

In September, parents in the Odesa region complained en masse about school meals and posted photos of school lunches on social media. Specifically, the complaints concerned the menus at schools in the Nerubayska and Podilska communities. Experts are inspecting not only the quality of the ingredients and prepared meals but also portion sizes, adherence to cooking procedures, and food presentation.

Юлія Калабайда