Estonia defends stricter healthy-snack rules for schools amid industry concerns
New Estonian rules requiring at least 80 percent of school snack bar items to be health-supporting took full effect this school year, but caterers warn children may simply buy sweets at nearby shops instead.
As of this school year, Estonia's updated food rules for childcare and educational institutions have fully taken effect, following a one-year transition period that began last September. The requirements now cover not just school cafeterias but also snack bars operating inside schools.
Under guidelines from the Health Development Institute (TAI), at least 80 percent of products sold in school snack bars must be health-supporting — high in fiber and low in added sugar, salt, and saturated fat. Approved items include fruits, vegetables, porridges, high-fiber bread, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, and unsweetened dairy products. Up to 20 percent may be "conditionally suitable" items containing added sugar, while most highly processed foods, sweetened drinks, and deep-fried items are banned entirely.
Caterers warn of shifted, not solved, problem
Aaro Lode, CEO of Baltic Restaurants Estonia, said the real test is whether the rules change children's eating habits or simply push purchases outside the school building. If students buy the same unhealthy snacks at nearby shops instead, he said, their diet doesn't actually improve. Inga Paenurm of P. Dussmann Eesti raised similar concerns with TAI and several ministries, noting that students are leaving school grounds to buy products no longer available inside.
Both caterers said they support the guidelines' goals but argued that rules alone are insufficient without clear communication to students and parents about what is being offered, why, and at what cost. Lode noted many healthy items are already provided free as part of school lunches, making it unlikely students will pay for the same items at the snack bar. Unclear or unexplained changes risk increasing food waste if students simply decline to buy the new offerings, Paenurm added.
Ministry says responsibility is shared
Ingrid Põldsaar, an adviser at the Ministry of Social Affairs, said schools cannot control what children buy outside school hours but can make healthy choices as easy and accessible as possible on campus. She pointed to past research showing most students eat school lunch, arguing this limits the risk of mass defection to outside shops. Põldsaar added that institutions already offering health-supporting food should be able to meet the new standards without major added costs, since some costlier requirements, such as mandatory nuts, were dropped during drafting, and frozen fish was permitted as a cheaper alternative to fresh.
The Health Board, which oversees compliance, said it will initially prioritize guidance and cooperation with schools rather than enforcement, according to division head Olga Gurjanova. School principals retain authority over snack bar offerings, though school boards may propose changes based on the guidelines.
