A new dossier from the Appui aux Politiques Publiques collection has been added to our library of thematic resources. This booklet, which can be downloaded at the end of this article, presents school catering and related research issues. From nutrition to the environment and food behaviour in school catering, INRAE supports public policies in favour of sustainable food.

Today in France, more than 8.5 million young people aged between 3 and 17 attend a school canteen, usually 4 or 5 times a week. School catering is therefore an essential lever for meeting the challenges of food safety, public health (obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.) and, more recently, the environment and local development. Food is at the crossroads of health, nutrition, social, economic, environmental and local issues in France and internationally.

In France, several regulations and public policies have provided a framework for catering services. Drawing on more than 50 years of research into food, agronomy and the environment, INRAE scientists have been providing support to those involved in public policy on school catering for around twenty years. This support has been reinforced by the EGalim Act of 2018 and the Climate and Resilience Act of 2021, which promote healthy and sustainable food in canteens.

This dossier presents a series of research studies, action research and expert reports carried out by INRAE in relation to school catering, from the nutritional components of meals to links with short distribution channels and organic farming. INRAE’s work informs stakeholders and public action from the design of public policies through to their implementation and evaluation.