One third of inspected school kitchens serving pupils hot and cold meals do not operate according to hygiene rules, inspections carried out by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) showed. Two canteens were closed in the process.
Around half of all Belgian school canteens provide hot meals for pupils, serving up hearty dishes such as macaroni cheese, vol-au-vent and mashed potatoes with sausages. However, not all kitchens operate according to national standards. Of the 1,178 inspections carried out by FAVV last year, 487 schools received a warning, Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
"This highlights that improvements need to be made," FAVV's spokesperson Hélène Bonte said. When a school receives a warning, this does not mean the canteen needs to be closed, it simply indicates that breaches were found that need to be addressed. "But there was no immediate danger to public health in most schools."
Strict monitoring
Unhygienic kitchen staff, including wearing dirty clothing, and violations related to hand washing, such as insufficient sinks, were among the most common violations.
Aside from the almost 500 warnings issued, 17 official reports were drawn up for multiple infringements. These will be sent to the courts, which will then decide whether further punishment is necessary. When a school receives multiple official reports, this can lead to the withdrawal of a school canteen's authorisation.
In two school canteens (one in Flanders and one in Wallonia), hygiene was substandard: the rooms where the food was being prepared were unclean and traces of vermin were spotted. These were temporarily closed, but the school made an effort to improve its hygiene, and the canteens were re-opened.
FAVV is very strict when checking schools in the interest of pupils' health and well-being. "This is a vulnerable target group," said Bonte. "We certainly don't close canteens down unnecessarily but we do strictly monitor all hygiene practices. Students should be able to enjoy a safe meal."
The agency noted that parents who provide their children with lunchboxes themselves can also take steps to ensure hygiene and food safety. "A lunch box can be a hotbed for bacteria when stored at room temperature," making raw meat spreads like américain or tuna dangerous. "Parents can opt for toppings that are less sensitive to high temperatures, such as hard-boiled eggs, dried ham, tapenades, hard cheeses, jams or honey."
