French school students eat twice as much animal proteins as the amount recommended

Who decides what children eat in French schools? Greenpeace France published a report about school meals and discovered that children eat twice as much animal protein servings as the amount recommended by the ANSES (French Food Agency, for Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety).

In school canteens, more than 80,000 tons of meat products and 120,000 tons of dairy products are distributed each year. Greenpeace France discovered that lobby groups from the meat & dairy industry have a large influence on the official and national nutritional guidelines. These guidelines have a major impact on the purchasing priorities of public institutions who establish the volume and frequency of meat and dairy served to children.

In some cases, these representatives of these lobbyists also come directly to schools to teach kids about the “positive benefits” of animal proteins and convince them that they are essential, without explaining that many protein needs can come from plant-based sources as well. Greenpeace published this report to denounce this type of intrusive lobbying of the meat & dairy industry representatives in schools.