Over the course of 2023, the National Institute for Student Welfare (Inabie) delivered through the School Feeding Program (PAE) more than 954.6 million food rations in 6,937 schools, guaranteeing balanced nutrition for students in the national public education system and thus supporting the teaching-learning process.
Inabie’s commitment to healthy eating and the wellbeing of students has been evident throughout this period, benefiting the student community with the delivery of 265,702,331 school lunch rations in the centers where the Extended School Day (JEE) operates in order to facilitate the stay of students in the classroom during the five days of teaching, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In addition, 336,010,974 rations of milk and 321,814,654 units of bread and nutritious cookies were dispatched for breakfast and snacks in schools.
In centers located in rural and border areas with difficult access, more than 14.8 million rations were distributed, according to information from the Food Management Directorate. In each ration served, the consumption of vegetables and proteins has been increased.
Inclusion of fresh fruits
In releasing last year’s data, the executive director of the institution, Víctor Castro, highlighted that one of the novelties during the recently completed year was the inclusion of fresh fruits in the PAE as an ideal substitute for nectars that were withdrawn due to their high sugar content.
With this pilot program, 1,251,975 rations were distributed in 29 schools in Santo Domingo and the municipality of Mao, Valverde province, with a variety of fruits such as mango, pineapple, milkweed, watermelon and pitahaya, in addition to ripe bananas, which began to be distributed last May.
New beneficiaries of school meals
For the first time, 120,851 students, teachers and support personnel of the education program for youth and adults (Prepara) began receiving school meals on weekends. A total of 1,543,006 rations were distributed in 632 educational centers nationwide.
Another advance in terms of expanding the coverage of school meals was the inclusion of 100 % of the students in the 14-24 Opportunity Program of the Social Policy Cabinet. This included the delivery of 121,200 rations to 10,420 young people in 119 training centers.
Strengthening of the quality monitoring system
As part of the commitments to ensure the quality of the food served in educational centers through the PAE, Inabie carried out more than 46,800 inspections, supervisions and laboratory analyses at the close of 2023.
Under the Quality Assurance and Food Service Monitoring departments, 42,256 supervisions were carried out in educational centers; 3,675 inspections to bakeries, kitchens, warehouses and milk processors and 911 physicochemical and microbiological analyses in laboratories available at both the Ministry of Public Health and the Institute for Innovation in Biotechnology and Industry (IIBI).
For 2024, INABIE reaffirms its commitment to the continuity and constant improvement of the PAE, recognizing its fundamental importance in the development of students.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do