The Daily Meal for Students Law

The Daily Meal for Students Law in Israel, 2005 regulates the operation of a nutrition program in educational institutions for students in compulsory kindergartens and elementary schools that have a long school day. The law was approved in the Sixteenth Knesset on December 27, 2004.

Key points of the law

According to the law, students eligible for a daily meal are those studying in a kindergarten or a school, in addition to their education in institutions where a study week consists of at least 41 hours of study, or on days when the educational institution conducts at least eight hours of study per day. This arrangement also applies to educational institutions implementing the "New Horizon" program.

The law stipulates that the local authority in whose jurisdiction the kindergarten or school is located is responsible for providing the daily meal. However, on shortened school days, i.e., until 13:30, students will not be entitled to receive meals.

A student absent from the educational institution is not entitled to receive a meal. There is also a prohibition on taking food out of the school premises.

Local authorities may collect from parents and require them to pay for their participation in financing the meals. The amount of parental participation is determined by the Knesset Education Committee and is proportional to their monthly income. Students whose economic situation does not allow for participation in meal payments are entitled to receive daily meals free of charge.

A parent wishing to waive the meal for their child must fill out a declaration form stating they do not wish their child to be fed and submit it to the administration of the educational institution.

The monthly menu of the daily meal is determined by the nutrition program's dietitian, following the Ministry of Health's guidelines. In cases of problems, difficulties, or dissatisfaction with the food provided, the law suggests contacting the school, which will refer to the nutrition representative or the local authority representative. The law prohibits direct contact with the food supplier.

The meal menu and accompanying equipment

According to the law, the meal menu must include a main meat dish, a carbohydrate side, cooked vegetables/legumes, fresh vegetables, bread, and fruit.

In addition to the meal, each student will receive along with the meal: a placemat for the table, a two-ply absorbent paper napkin, and a single-use rigid plastic cutlery set.

There is an option to receive a vegetarian dish instead of the meat dish, for which two forms must be filled out: a parent's request form for a vegetarian dish and a request approval form for a vegetarian dish.

Allergens

If a student is known to have food sensitivities or allergies that require special food provisions, the parent must provide the educational institution's director with a medical certificate detailing the sensitivities or allergies and their severity. Subsequently, they must submit a request letter for special meals to the director of the educational institution.