Analysis of school meals in the context of the implementation of modern federal legislation (experience of the Samara region)

Abstract

Objective. Monitoring of the organization of meals and hygienic assessment of the quality of school menus in educational institutions of the Samara region. Materials and methods. Data on the organization and quality of meals in 57 secondary educational institutions of the Samara region were obtained through a sanitary and hygienic description and examination of schools, as well as a questionnaire survey of employees responsible for food. To assess the quality of school rations, an analysis of the nutritional structure was carried out, the coefficient of provision with nutrients and products was calculated, as well as the healthy eating index. Results. There were cases of realization of food and beverages prohibited for children in canteens, low coverage with two meals (10% in grades 1–9 and 3% in grades 10–11), and isolated cases of short duration of breaks for meals (15 minutes). The diet was characterized by an increased energy value (M = 1789.64 ± 138.19 kcal) and a greater excess of carbohydrates (M = 291.99 ± 12.51) due to the predominance of cereals and pasta in the meal structure. The Healthy Eating Index for students was satisfactory, owing to low consumption of fruits, dairy and seafood, and the presence of refined grains in the diet. Conclusion. The identified problems in the organization of school meals increase the likelihood of the development of alimentarydependent diseases among students. From a practical point of view, the appointment and proper hygienic training of personnel responsible for food in educational instituitons is required. Key words: school meals, nutritional value, nutritional structure, healthy eating index For citation: Sazonova O.V., Gavryushin M.Yu., Berezhnova O.V., Borodina L.M., Gorbachev D.O., Frolova O.V., Tupikova D.S. Analysis of school meals in the context of the implementation of modern federal legislation (experience of the Samara region). Vopr. det. dietol. (Pediatric Nutrition). 2020; 18(6): 5–11. (In Russian). DOI: 10.20953/1727-5784-2020-6-5-11