
The country’s politicians slammed the mayor’s decision stating he was insulting French butchers and harming the health of children by keeping meat off school lunch menus.
The Lyon mayor has been criticized for removing meat from school lunches in the French city.
Recently, Green party member Gregory Doucet called for a single menu in schools without meat in a move to streamline and quicken services at lunches amid coronavirus restrictions.
He added that meals fed to children in Lyon’s 206 schools would remain nutritionally balanced.
Fish and eggs still remain on the menus.
But the decision sparked a heated debate among politicians on Sunday.
‘Unacceptable insult’
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the move is an “unacceptable insult” for French farmers and butchers.
“We can see that the moralising and elitist policy of the Greens excludes the popular classes. Many children often only get to eat meat at the school canteen,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie accused Doucet of risking children’s health.
“Let’s stop putting ideology on our children’s plates,” the French politician wrote on Twitter.
“Let’s just give them what they need to grow well. Meat is part of it.”
Denormandie added that he had requested the region’s top local official – the prefect- to overrule the meat-free decision.
Arrêtons de mettre de l’idéologie dans l’assiette de nos enfants !
— Julien Denormandie (@J_Denormandie) February 21, 2021
Donnons-leur simplement ce dont ils ont besoin pour bien grandir. La viande en fait partie.
J’ai saisi le Préfet du Rhône. https://t.co/Kiw0v5ZaNC
The agriculture minister regularly speaks in defense of the meat industry.
Last December, he slammed the cultured meat trend stating he will ensure meat ‘remains natural and never artificial’.
He retweeted an article on the news that Singapore has become the world’s first country to allow the sale of cultured meat along with a caption that read: “Is this really the society we want for our children?
“[For] me, no. I say it clearly: meat comes from life, not from laboratories. Count on me so that in France, meat remains natural and never artificial!”
Mayor’s response
Despite the furore, Doucet defended his meat-free decision, saying that the measure was introduced “solely” due to the pandemic and that the city’s right-wing predecessor, Gerard Collomb, had taken “exactly the same measure” during the first wave.
Plant-based trend in France
Lyon is considered the culinary capital of the country and is particularly renowned for its meat and offal-based cuisine.
However, the food landscape and consumer preferences are rapidly changing.
Demand for meat-free products is on the rise.
Culina Hortus in Lyon was voted the best vegetarian restaurant in the world in 2020.
Recently, ONA restaurant in the city of Ares, near Bordeaux, in south-west France, won a Michelin Guide star, the first for an establishment serving only meat-free products in France.
Share this story: French mayor’s decision for meat-free school lunches amid the pandemic sparks outrage.
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
Tobey Maguire often speaks about veganism and animal issues. Tobey Maguire, the actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy, is a vegan. He has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became a vegan in 2009. A lifelong commitment to animal rights Maguire’s decision to go vegan was motivated by his love …
Continue reading “Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know”
Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
The number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based industry increased by almost a third from April to July 2023, GlobalData reported. The plant-based food industry is booming, and this is reflected in the number of job openings in the sector. According to data from GlobalData, the number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based …
Continue reading “Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …