Junk food to stay in Slovak schools

The food on offer at school canteens won't change after all, with Parliament on Tuesday accepting the reservations of President Andrej Kiska towards an amendment to the School Act that was supposed to do away with junk food at tuck shops, TASR learnt on the same day. The amendment in question was proposed by Smer-SD's Renáta Zmajkovičová and passed by the House on October 29 before Kiska vetoed it on November 19. He objected to what he called the vagueness and ambiguity within it that leads to a lack of clarity. Parliament agreed with Kiska's comments, but moved to place a request with the Government that it should draw up a bill aimed at addressing the issue of food sold in schools that will ensure that schools offer food that benefits the health of their pupils. Zmajkovičová proposed that shops in schools should be required to get rid of all fast-food products, foods containing over 1.5 grams of salt per 100 grams, sweets, ice cream, ice lollies, energy drinks, beverages containing quinine and flavoured soft drinks including those with added sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. She also proposed that shopkeepers who violate the legislation should be subject to fines of €50-500. In his response to Parliament's latest move on the bill, Most-Hid vice-chairman Zsolt Simon said that common sense has prevailed in the governing Smer-SD party. He added that, first and foremost, it's up to parents to educate their children on healthy foods. Smer's Anton Martvoň however disagreed with Kiska's stance and continued to lend support to Zmajkovičová's bill. However, he said that he respects the agreement reached by Smer's caucus. "This was an agreement made by the caucus ... I insist that there needs to be regulation of food for children. Schools are there to educate first of all, not to do business in catering. Ms. Zmajkovičová came up with a good idea", said Martvoň.