Mold alarm at Rostock schools: Gnocchi cause a stir!

Mold alarm at Rostock schools: Gnocchi cause a stir!

In Rostock, an incident involving school meals is causing a stir and discussion. On December 1st, students at the Jenaplanschule discovered unusual mold in their gnocchi, which was served in a corn and feta sauce. The meal was provided by the Midday Sailors, the community food provider. These were previously responsible for school meals after the remunicipalization of school meals was gradually implemented after the summer holidays. The incident has reignited long-standing concerns about food quality. According to Ostsee Zeitung, school staff initially noticed nothing unusual, while students complained about a strange taste.

The gnocchi had a shelf life until January 13, 2027, but one package turned out to be spoiled. Elvis-Ku Kankimbi, a tenth grade student, was the one who discovered the mold and immediately informed the dining staff. It is fortunate that no health problems have been reported among the students so far. After the incident, all gnocchi were immediately withdrawn from sale and the remaining stocks were blocked.

Growing concerns among parents

The lunch sailors have already reimbursed the affected parents for the cost of the spoiled meal. In the meantime, however, criticism of the new supply system has increased. Parents complain about the strict ordering rules, small portions and unclear procedures that make it difficult to keep track. While a planned commercial kitchen in Brinckmansdorf is not yet ready for use, the food is temporarily delivered externally, which leads to longer transport routes.

The CDU parliamentary group in Rostock has already sharply criticized the city for mismanagement and delivery problems. Chris Günther, parliamentary group leader of the CDU, emphasized that the city had failed with the remunicipalization of school meals. However, Andreas Schwarz, managing director of Mittagsmarinen, takes the defense into his own hands and points to the high organic content of the meals that are prepared using the cook-and-chill method in schools.

A look at the future of school meals

There are numerous ideas for improving school meals. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Community emphasizes the need for scientifically based recommendations. The quality standard, which was developed by the German Nutrition Society, aims to guarantee a healthy and sustainable menu in schools. The standard supports those responsible in implementing a balanced meal offering that contributes to the physical and mental development of children and young people.

There is still a high demand for warm lunch meals in Rostock's schools. Studies have shown that 69 percent of children ages 6-17 have access to such food. But the road to optimizing school meals is rocky, as recent incidents show. The city of Rostock has promised to offer faster transitional solutions to regain parents' trust and ensure a smooth transition to the new food supply. Experts from various fields are already working on improving quality so that children can look forward to their lunch in the future and no longer find moldy gnocchi.