Brazilian municipalities update school meal programs

Municipalities in Brazil are implementing new measures to modernize school feeding programs and strengthen family farming.

Mogi das Cruzes is conducting a study through its Sustainable Food Development Program to standardize food measurements in selected municipal schools. The initiative compares the current method of using raw ingredients with a model using minimally processed, pre-washed, and ready-to-use products. The study aims to analyze costs, logistics, water consumption, labor, and waste percentages to determine the most efficient approach for school kitchens.

In São Gonçalo, the Secretariat of Education held training sessions for school cooks to align with new National School Feeding Program (PNAE) resolutions. These updates include increasing the percentage of food sourced from family farming and increasing the proportion of fresh foods from 80% to 85%. Additionally, the use of ultra-processed foods will be reduced from 15% to 10%, and concentrated juices will be replaced by fresh fruit or pulp.