The contribution of school meals to food security among households with children and adolescents in Brazil

Amorim, Ana Laura Benevenuto de; Santos, Reila Dalio dos; Ribeiro, José Raimundo Sousa; Canella, Daniela Silva; Bandoni, Daniel Henrique

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2021.111502

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…School meals are often the main source of food for socially vulnerable students. A study that evaluated the relationship between food insecurity and consumption of school meals offered by PNAE in households with children and adolescents residing in Brazilian municipalities reported that most of the sampled population (56•5 %) had some degree of food insecurity, 78•5 % of students reported regular intake of school meals (>3 times/week) and students from households with moderate or severe food insecurity were more likely to regularly eat school meals (45) . This scenario reinforces that school meal menus should have good nutritional quality, in line with the recommendations of the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines (18) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of food purchasing in the Brazilian School Feeding Programme: feasibility of the requirements and recommendations

Azevedo,

Bandoni,

Amorim

et al. 2023

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To analyse the purchase of food for school feeding, according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing and variety, exploring the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations of the Brazilian School Feeding Programme, and the variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods according to the purchase of ultra-processed foods. Design: Secondary data from 2016 from the Accountability Management System of the National Fund for Educational Development, concerning the food items purchased, were used to explore the feasibility of the requirements and recommendations. The foods were grouped according to the NOVA classification system. Variety was assessed by counting different types of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Setting: Brazil. Participants: 3698 Brazilian municipalities. Results: Energy share from unprocessed or minimally processed foods was 44·1 % while that of ultra-processed foods was 29·9 %. The average of unprocessed or minimally processed food types purchased annually was 33·8 items. Of the municipalities, 35·8 % were within the limit established for the expenditure of funds for the purchase of processed and ultra-processed foods, while 8·7 % followed the recommendation for variety. The proportion of ultra-processed foods did not influence the variety of food items purchased. Conclusions: The results showed the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations and underscored the importance of continued efforts to promote the inclusion of unprocessed or minimally processed foods in the school feeding programme while addressing the challenges associated with expenditure limits of processed and ultra-processed foods and enhancing variety, which is strategic to promote adequate and healthy meals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of food purchasing in the Brazilian School Feeding Programme: feasibility of the requirements and recommendations

Azevedo,

Bandoni,

Amorim

et al. 2023

Public Health Nutr.

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“…Children spend a considerable part of their day at school, and offering free meals for everyone can be a great tool for learning about food, eating and achieving food and nutrition security (35) .…”

Section: Why Free Meals At School?mentioning

confidence: 99%

It is time: free meals at schools for all

Bandoni,

Ottoni,

Amorim

et al. 2023

Br J Nutr

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The link between school feeding programmes (SFP) and the promotion of healthy eating and health is being explored in studies performed in different countries. The coronavirus disease-19 pandemic has revealed flaws and weaknesses in contemporary food systems, with many school-age children experiencing food insecurity and hunger. There is intense debate among policymakers regarding whether government SFP should be universal or targeted. Countries such as Brazil and India, which have two of the most comprehensive universal free-of-charge programmes, have shown the benefits of SFP, including improved nutritional status, support for more sustainable food systems, attendance and academic performance. Evidence shows and supports actions advocating that it is time to offer healthy and free school meals for all students.

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“…The students of Brazilian public schools used to receive at least one meal per day as part of the National School Meals Program (Portuguese Acronym: Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar-PNAE) [7]. School feeding is a key component of Brazil's strategy for addressing food security and nutrition, which links education, agriculture, health, and social protection for lower-income people [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, at least 30% of program funds must be used in the direct purchase of products from smallholder family farmers [12]. Additionally, to support small producers and encourage economic and sustainable development in communities, this measure also increases access to fresh and nutritious food [3,9]. Between 2011 and 2017, only onethird of the Brazilian state's capitals met the established target of at least 30%, which demonstrates the need to encourage smallholder farming production and to better control assigned resources [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public School Food Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the City of Vitória (Brazil)

et al. 2022

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Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian public schools closed in 2020. This lockdown stopped the provision of school meals to public school students, most of whom belonged to low-income families facing food insecurity. To guarantee the students’ food security during this period, food items previously provided through school meals were converted into food kits and delivered to the students’ families. Methods: This case study analyzes the logistical impacts of this change in the school food supply chain concerning the legislation, procurement, assembly, and distribution of food kits in the city of Vitória, Brazil. We interviewed suppliers and workers of the Municipal Secretariat of Education and distributed a survey to professionals and beneficiaries. Results: One of the findings was that federal procurement regulations for the acquisition of food for public schools led to difficult choices for school officials during this period. These regulations determined that at least 30% of the budget must be used in local purchases from smallholder family farmers. However, almost all products generated by family farming in the region of Vitória are perishable and require distribution and consumption on the same day, which represents a challenge for the logistic process of assembling and distributing food kits. The solution was the selection of eggs as the primary protein item in the kits. Conclusions: The lessons learned through this study suggest potential actions that would make this supply chain more resilient in future emergencies.

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The contribution of school meals to food security among households with children and adolescents in Brazil

Cited by 3 publications

References 24 publications

Evaluation of food purchasing in the Brazilian School Feeding Programme: feasibility of the requirements and recommendations

Evaluation of food purchasing in the Brazilian School Feeding Programme: feasibility of the requirements and recommendations

It is time: free meals at schools for all

Public School Food Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the City of Vitória (Brazil)

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