LeMaire leaves out lentils

Vegetarians are up-in-arms about new regulations on the content of meals in France's school canteens.

SpaceMonkey

In a land where food is taken seriously, the school canteen is giving cause for concern.

Six million French children have lunch in the school canteen, where they are usually offered three courses including starter, main course and dessert.

In government-run schools, the food is usually prepared, cooked and served by public sector workers, not private companies.

But Food and Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire remarked recently that basic rules of good nutrition were not always applied and canteens were rarely inspected.

The ministry has just published new rules on school dinners but many non-meat eaters feel that vegetarian options are largely ignored in the guideline meals.

The new rules stipulate that every school meal should include a protein dish, with meat, fish, eggs, offal or cheese all mentioned as possible sources.

But no mention is made of soya, cereals or pulses as alternative sources of protein.

Vegetarianism in France is less common than in many Anglo-Saxon countries, and many school canteens do not offer a vegetarian option, unless it is for medical reasons.

The FCPE, a parent group, says it has been pressuring the government for years to impose tighter regulation on school canteens, and Jean-Jacques Hazan says the the new rules are "a victory".

He's pleased as well that chips will be on the menu only once a week, if at all, and extra salt, ketchup and mayonnaise will not be freely available, but sometimes served with appropriate dishes.

Few schools offer facilities to eat a packed lunch but a significant number of primary aged children go home to eat in the relatively long lunch break.