Yeongdeungpo-gu and Gimhae-si Launch 1:1 Matching Public Meal Project Using Eco-Friendly Agricultural Products... Supporting Meals for Over 6,100 Children at 152 Facilities Including Daycare Centers This Year, 3.4 Times Increase from Initial Plan
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is accelerating its eco-friendly public meal service project targeting daycare centers and local children's centers to support the healthy growth of infants and toddlers and to create a safe meal culture.
The urban-rural coexistence public meal service project supplies fresh and safe eco-friendly agricultural products as ingredients to promote public meal services.
Ingredients are procured through direct transactions via a 1:1 matching system between Seoul autonomous districts and basic local governments where agricultural products are produced.
Since September 2019, the district has operated the Yeongdeungpo-gu Public Meal Service Center (40 Balsan-ro, Gangseo-gu). Centered here, it has signed an agreement with Gimhae City and is conducting the urban-rural coexistence public meal service project by supplying Gimhae agricultural products to daycare centers, local children's centers, and welfare facilities.
The district's public meal service center delivers eco-friendly agricultural products harvested daily from production farms to daycare centers in the freshest condition by early morning the next day.
Initially, the supply target was only 45 locations, but now the number of target facilities has increased approximately 3.4 times, supplying an average of 152 locations daily.
Among infants and toddlers in local daycare centers, about 6,100 children, accounting for 65%, receive meals made with eco-friendly ingredients from Gimhae City. According to a satisfaction survey conducted last November, 98.8% of parents expressed high satisfaction with the eco-friendly public meal service.
Additionally, the project runs children's dietary education for proper eating habits and various food experience programs, receiving great responses from local daycare centers.
In particular, safety inspections on ingredients have been strengthened, including pesticide residue tests on agricultural products by growth cycle, four sample tests weekly on livestock and seafood, and production area monitoring by the Safe Ingredients Guardians, to create a food environment that parents can trust.
Moreover, the district's public meal service center has established an organic cooperative relationship with the Yeongdeungpo-gu Child Meal Management Support Center, which opened in September last year, supporting menu and recipe development for meal sites such as daycare centers.
Mayor Chae Hyun-il of Yeongdeungpo-gu stated, “Providing healthy and safe food to children is the best childcare,” and added, “We will continue to strive to discover policies not only to supply meal ingredients that parents can trust through the Yeongdeungpo-gu Public Meal Service Center but also to create a safe food environment.”
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