The Ministry of Education is gathering complaints from AMPA regarding the quality and quantity of food in several centres across the province. The company Mediterránea, the main provider in Andalusia, has ten working days to submit objections to the file opened in Córdoba that could include the Málaga cases.
The Ministry of Education of the Junta de Andalucía, through the Territorial Delegation in Málaga and the Andalusian Public Agency for Education, has initiated specific supervision of school canteens in the province after the Democratic Federation of Associations of Parents and Mothers of Students for Public Education in the Province of Málaga (Fdapa) collected complaints from various AMPA over the past week and forwarded them to the Administration, as reported by Diario Sur.
The complaints focus on the poor quality of the products, the small portion sizes, and the possible non-compliance with the terms of service regulating the provision. The affected centres, according to the complaints received, include schools in Málaga capital, Alhaurín el Grande, Coín, and Estación de Cártama, among other locations in the province.
The Junta has confirmed that it is gathering information directly from the heads of the centres, who are ultimately responsible for the canteen service, to verify compliance with the hygiene, nutritional, and service provision conditions established in the regulations and contracts. The investigation is coordinated with the file that the Ministry opened last week against the company Mediterránea due to incidents detected in several schools in the province of Córdoba.
“As it is a company whose area of operation extends across the entire autonomous community, the incidents collected in Málaga will be analysed and, if appropriate, incorporated into the already opened file, so that they are taken into account in the ongoing administrative procedure”
Sources from the Provincial Delegation have indicated that the awarded company has a period of ten working days to submit reports, objections, and the documentation required by the Administration to clarify what happened and determine any responsibilities that may arise.
The Minister of Education, María del Carmen Castillo, defended on Monday that Andalusian school canteens are “safe and of quality”. However, most of the complaints point to the contrary and arrive at a time in the school year when, according to sector sources, such widespread discontent is not common.
The province of Málaga has a network of 340 school canteens. Although some schools maintain their own kitchens and staff, most operate with catering companies. Mediterránea manages around 40% of the canteens in Andalusia, the highest share, although concessions from El Cántaro, Aramark, and Ausolan RCS also operate.
The public price paid by families is 5.54 euros per day, with discounts for certain cases. The contracting terms include penalties that can reach, in the specified cases, up to the termination of the contract if non-compliance is confirmed.
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