Science at UM [S01-ep23]: Sustainable Menus in the Cafeteria

[Podcast] - Published on June 3, 2022 in Health, Social Issues & Disabilities, Science and Society

This week on "Science at UM": Nicole Darmon, a nutrition researcher at the Moisa Laboratory shares some tips on how to make cafeteria meals more sustainable without compromising their nutritional quality.

Did you know that the school cafeteria is a French invention? In 1844, Emile Depasse, mayor of Lannion, appealed to the town’s wealthy residents to fund a meal service at the charity office, which served 150 poor children from the town every day. This initiative became widespread in 1880 with the Ferry Laws, which made education compulsory.

However, the term “nutritional quality of meals” did not come into use until 1951, and it was UNESCO that first raised this issue by calling for meals to be “composed in such a way as to promote the child’s growth and psychological development.” In the national education system, the first guidelines appeared in the early 1970s, and it was in 1999 that the broad outlines for the structuring and preparation of meals were established.

In 2001, the Ministry of Health launched the National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS), viewing school meals as a tool for nutrition education. It wasn’t until 2011 that recommendations were issued regarding the amount of sugar in a single serving.

As a health issue, food has, in recent years—alongside the ecological crisis—become a matter of sustainability. As a result, we’ve seen a greater proportion of organic and locally sourced foods make their way onto the menu. But how can we take this further? Nicole Darmon is a nutrition researcher at INRAE. She contributed to a study published inthe European Journal of Nutrition aimed at improving the sustainability of school meals in France and shares some interesting insights with us.

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Production: Universityof Montpellier/Divergence FM
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: AlinePériault/Lucie Lecherbonnier
Directed by: AnnaDemeulandre and Adeline Floc’h

Tune in to the show “A LUM LA SCIENCE” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Health, Company