Schools’ fruit and veg to be sourced from Maltese farmers, suppliers told

The parliamentary secretary for agriculture will be requesting contractors for a schools’ fruit and vegetable distribution scheme to source local produce from pitkali wholesalers and farmers.

Clint Camilleri was reacting to criticism and media reports of cooked and frozen vegetables being delivered to schools.

The fruit and vegetable scheme for schools is encountering problems to match demand with supply.

“If the contractor is well-organised, there should be enough supply,” Camilleri told MaltaToday.

But imported fruits have been added to the schools’ menu, such as pineapple, to introduce variety to the menu.

“For local produce, there is absolutely no reason why these should not come directly from local producers,” Camilleri said.

On Saturday, the environment ministry denied reports that the vegetables are cooked or frozen, but clarified that due to the amount of produce, it needs to be kept in colder temperatures.

Read more: Environment Ministry denies reports of unsuitable fruit and veg in schools

The EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among children, through the distribution of fruit, vegetables and milk products.

On reports of sour milk, Camilleri said the cartons were being transported in a temperature-controlled environment and delivered to schools in proper condition, but said it was the responsibility of the schools to ensure the milk remains so until it is served to children.

“It could be that the milk is not being taken care of properly after being dropped of – for lack of resources or otherwise,” Camilleri said.

MaltaToday is informed there was at least one complaint of sour milk received, having been served an hour after being delivered – which means its quality could have been affected if not stored properly. The milk was also served with flavoured straws, which could have affected its taste.

Camilleri said the distribution system for milk had been previously agreed upon with educators and parents, Camilleri explained.

“From hundreds of schools which have benefitted from the scheme so far, there was only this one complaint I am informed of. I understand that schools have other priorities. But it is important that schools – who themselves applied for this scheme – keep the milk in good condition,” Camilleri said.

The ministry was also faced with complaints of having provided plastic straws with the milk cartons, which happened to be requested in the tender they issued for the procurement of the milk. Camilleri said the ministry will be seeing whether the straws could be made biodegradable, “although the ideal solution would be to do away with them entirely,” he added.

“The best solution would be having teachers open the milk cartons are distributing the milk to children to avoid plastic waste. But are teachers prepared to do this?”

Read more: Schoolchildren to start receiving fruit and veg on Monday

“If schools and educators require resources, such as fridges, the government would surely provide assistance. Although there were delays, I am convinced the current scheme is much better than the one which preceded it,” Camilleri said.

The new scheme also introduced cold vegetable soups to schools, part of an initiative by a committee of health and education representatives and the Paying Agency to increase the consumption of vegetables – particularly in summer months when fresh produce is more scarce. The soups include vegetables such as beetroot, broccoli, carrots, peas, pumpkins, fresh fruit, and the inclusion of fresh herbs.

Major changes in the packaging have already been implemented in order to mitigate complaints about use of plastic that would result in the products being squashed.

In a press release on Saturday, the Environment Ministry said it is in the process of evaluating whether the packaging could be improved further.