In the Odesa region, 150 citations were issued regarding school lunches

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

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

Among the most common violations recorded by inspectors during their inspections are:

• failure to adhere to the approved and agreed-upon long-term menu;
• violations of product separation rules during food storage;
• failure to comply with established nutritional standards for specific food groups.

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Typical shortcomings include improper maintenance of required documentation in food service facilities, particularly logs documenting the inspection of prepared meals and raw materials received from suppliers.

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Unscheduled inspections of educational institutions regarding the organization of meals for children have been ongoing since early September. The inspections are being carried out in accordance with a government directive and a corresponding resolution by the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The inspections will continue until November 8.

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

That same month, daily monitoring of school meal services began following numerous complaints from parents. Inspections will cover not only the quality of ingredients and prepared meals but also portion sizes, adherence to cooking procedures, and food presentation.

Юлія Калабайда