The Government Will Require Schools and Institutes to Offer Halal Option in Dining Halls

The controversy over adapting school menus for Muslim students is becoming increasingly contentious. These days, Barcelona's city council acknowledged that they don't serve pork in nurseries for "inclusive nutrition". The Spanish Government will now require schools to serve special menus for students with religious diversity.

The Council of Ministers approved a decree law on healthy and sustainable school cafeterias this Tuesday. It is a measure from the Ministry of Social Rights led by Pablo Bustinduy, formerly of Podemos and now in Sumar. The decree includes several guidelines for healthier and non-discriminatory meals in schools and institutes.

For example, it establishes the prohibition of industrial pastries and sugary drinks, and more presence of fish, vegetables, and cereals. The controversy lies in the section where it mandates serving vegan menus and those adapted to the religious diversity of the students.

The measure will be mandatory in all centers, whether public, private, or chartered. It also affects the entire Spanish territory, including Catalonia. Although Catalan centers already have specific healthy food regulations implemented by the Catalan Department of Health.

What's Happening in Catalonia

In Catalonia, the regulation is set by Decree 160/1996, which regulates the school cafeteria service in public educational centers. The law establishes that centers must ensure healthy nutrition adapted to the characteristics and needs of the students. But it doesn't specify the obligation to offer special menus based on religion.

Centers with a high presence of foreign students have voluntarily adapted their food offerings. Although in practice, it is the centers that decide the offerings in accordance with the school council. In some places, like Barcelona, municipal guidelines have been implemented to unify the criteria.

Controversy in Barcelona

Barcelona's city council approved in 2016, under the government of Ada Colau, the Instruction on food diversity in public school cafeterias. This guideline establishes that:

The companies awarded the cafeteria services and the in-house kitchens of educational centers must guarantee the uniqueness of the menus requested by families for cultural and religious reasons.

If the number of different menus significantly complicates the management of the school cafeteria, adaptations must be sought, and a maximum of four menus should be offered to respond to the most represented groups.

At the request of several users, the city council has acknowledged that they don't serve pork in public network nurseries. The municipal government relies precisely on the 2016 Instruction to defend "more inclusive nutrition adapted to the diverse realities of the students." This is considered by many as discrimination against non-Christian students.