School Food
As of 2022, there is no national school meal programme in Denmark. Most children in primary school bring their own packed lunch from home, although some municipalities such as Copenhagen have chosen to invest in school meals with these meals paid or partially paid for by parents. However, there is no compulsory regulation at the national level concerning the provision and quality of public school meals in Denmark.
In 2021, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, updated the official Danish Food-based Dietary Guidelines – good for health and the climate (2021). The guidelines are designed to guide people both on how to eat healthier and how to reduce the climate emissions from the food system by transforming eating habits. This has been translated from whole diet into dietary advice for school caterers for lunches and snacks, and specific dietary guidelines were launched for daycare and schools and canteens in January 2022.
Three tools have also been developed, that are needed to make healthy and climate-friendly food: principles, raw material overview and indicative portion sizes. There is also dietary advice to help with the packed lunch.
The main characteristics of these standards are summarized below:
| Users of the guidance |
|
| School food covered |
|
| Objectives | To follow healthy and climate-friendly principles (as per the Danish food-based dietary guidelines) |
| Basis | Food-based |
| Food groups covered | Vegetables and fruits; legumes, fish, meat and eggs; cereals and potatoes; fats, nuts and seeds; dairy products and cheese |
| Other guidance included |
|
Development process
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration first developed a new concept for food-based guidelines in 2017 directed at food service operators in elementary schools, after-school care, upper secondary schools and workplaces. These were subsequently revised based on research from the Technical University of Denmark and following the publication of the 2021 food-based dietary guidelines – good for health and the climate.
The voluntary standards were developed with the support of the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark and based on academic evidence for dietary advice. The guidelines were also tested in 24 institution kitchens, including school canteens, and have been reviewed by other stakeholders.
Implementation
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration is continuously working on implementing the dietary guidelines for meals, which are always mentioned in the Department’s discussions with the country’s municipalities, for example on webinars.
There have been challenges in acceptance of the new menus by customers, e.g., recommendations for kitchens to serve plant-rich meals with less meat. The Department is now working on a communications tool to support catering staff in their dialogue with customers.
Monitoring and evaluation
There are plans to begin evaluating as to what degree school canteens are following the dietary guidelines, although the guidance itself is voluntary.