high school students collect signatures so that they can eat zeppelins with traditional sauce

High school students were outraged

On Thursday, students in one of the largest educational institutions in Alytus were delighted not only with the coming weekend, but also with the most delicious meal of the week. St. At the Benediktas high school, in the canteen of which the company “Genutės sodyba” takes care of catering, zeppelins were available for lunch once a week. Of course, with traditional sour cream pretzel sauce.

This spring, the order suddenly changed – there were no crackers left, and only sour cream in the sauce, so the high school students were not jokingly outraged.

“Mom, there is a petition in the school canteen – I signed it for myself and my friends,” says the mother of high school students about the children’s stories after returning from school.

The portal of the city of Alytus “Alytus Plus” also shared the letter received from high school students:

“Alytus St. The nurse of Benediktas Gymnasium forbids making crackers for zeppelins in the canteen. Zeppelins have had crackers all year, but last week it was banned. Banned not only pretzels for the Lithuanian national dish, but also Kiev meatballs. This is a mockery of the national food. On behalf of all high school students, we always eat zeppelins with crackers. There is a lot of student dissatisfaction.”

According to high school students, 176 people signed.

True, chops fried in breadcrumbs, buns and other food dishes of dubious value are still left on the canteen’s menu.

He refuses to comment

“There are no signatures. No one has submitted any request”, said lrytas.lt deputy director for education, acting director Dr. Lina Kankevičienė.

According to her, the high school only makes sure to follow the meal plan, which does not allow crackers.

“I don’t want to comment. There is a description and everything”, – when asked who initiated the changes, said L. Kankevičienė.

The arrangement has been in place for many years

The last time the description of the procedure for the organization of meals in pre-school education, general education schools and children’s social care institutions was changed on April 10, 2018 by the then Minister of Health Aurelijus Veryga.

At that time, many measures were taken to promote a healthier diet for children, and item 19 of the description included prohibited food groups: “potato, corn or other chips, other products cooked in fat, fried or popped; sweets; chocolate and chocolate products; ice cream; dairy products and confectionery with frosting, frosting, chocolate or cream; chewing gum; carbonated drinks; energy drinks; non-alcoholic beer, cider and wine; beverages and food products made from (or containing) coffee beans or their extract; chicory, acorn or grain drinks (coffee substitutes);

kissels; concentrates of broths, sauces; sauces with crackers; cold, hot, low-smoked meat products and meat products, in the production of which smoking flavoring substances were used (they are allowed during summer camps organized in general education institutions or when making home food packages); Kipper; canned meat and fish products (they are allowed during summer camps organized in general education institutions or when preparing home food packages); striper caught in the Baltic Sea; canned products of industrial production;

mechanically separated meat, fish and food products containing mechanically separated meat or fish; offal and their products (except tongues and liver); fried meat, poultry and fish products rolled in breadcrumbs or sprinkled with breadcrumbs; food supplements; food products made from genetically modified organisms (hereinafter referred to as GMOs) or food products containing GMOs; foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable fats; food products and dishes that do not meet the requirements set out in Appendices 3‒5 of the Procedure Description.”

The ban came into effect on the first of September of the same year, but not on St. Alytus. Benedict’s gymnasium, where zeppelins were showered with crackers until the middle of April this year.

According to representatives of the Ministry of Health, “the ministry is not a competent authority to control the organization of children’s meals in educational institutions and does not carry out inspections. The State Food and Veterinary Service is authorized to carry them out.”

The catering service provider is responsible for complying with the description, and the head of the school is responsible for the organization of children’s meals and the implementation of the provisions of the Procedure Description.

At the end of last year St. Loreta Šernienė, the long-time head of Benediktas Gymnasium, became the head of the education department of the city of Alytus, and Erika Poškevičienė, who won the competition for the position of the head, has not yet started work.

Is it possible to return crackers to the menu with children’s signatures or even at the parents’ request?

“Such an opportunity is not foreseen. “Parents can only decide on the presence or absence of cold snacks in institutions implementing general education programs”, assured the representatives of SAM.

They remind that the purpose of this description of the procedure is to ensure healthy children’s nutrition, food safety and the best quality in order to meet the physiological needs of children’s nutrients and develop healthy eating skills.

What to do if you want crackers with zeppelins? It seems that people from Alyty will have to bring them from home – the description does not prohibit that. It’s true, only it’s not during school or classroom holidays – point 19 still applies there.