In schools in the city of Lages/SC, the menu is different: it consists of fruit tea and other fresh products from family farming. The notice of the National School Food Program (Pnae) for direct acquisition aims to serve 15 thousand students over 12 months and was mapped in August by the Opportunities System of the Special Secretariat for Family Farming and Agrarian Development (Sead).
In the public call for Lajes, which is 226 kilometers from the capital of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, an investment of R$ 312 thousand is expected to purchase fruit and bakery products and R$ 76 thousand to purchase 300 kilos of orange tea with apple, orange with pineapple and mint. The hot drink is served for breakfast and afternoon snacks, accompanied by cakes, breads and cookies. And the feedback in schools has been positive.
The guarantor is Cláudia Torres, nutritionist at City Hall, explaining that tea is a cultural food and widely consumed in the cold regions of southern Brazil. The product was included in the school menu due to the recommendation of the National Education Development Fund (FNDE) not to provide students with highly industrialized items, such as chocolate drinks, nectars and dairy drinks.
“It was a good substitute, as Lages is in a region with low temperatures and is healthier, as it is made with dehydrated fruits”, explains Cláudia. One of the family farmers who supply the municipal network is Ivonete Camtregher. She defends the inclusion of tea in school meals as a way to combat childhood obesity and even raise awareness among children about the risk of being overweight.
Ivonete explains that her product is completely organic, consisting of dehydrated fruits and herbs. The packages – which vary from 50 to 500 grams – are prepared according to requests and aim to not compromise quality and aroma. Ivonete tea is included in school meals in nine municipalities in the region and demand is growing: public hospitals have already requested the purchase of the product.
Source: Agrolink
