Father triggers debate

Food prepared with wine in a crèche in Nice

In a crèche in Nice, food was often prepared with wine (symbolic image).(Bild: [e-mail])

In Nice, meals have been prepared with wine in some nursery and school canteens. "I complained at the time, but it happened again," criticized the father of a three-year-old daughter. The city council is trying to calm things down: It's all about the taste, the alcohol evaporates completely during long cooking.

"These dishes are therefore also safe for small children," the city council said. But that's not what father Marc is concerned about. He doesn't understand why children are given meals with wine as a flavor enhancer, the 51-year-old replied. He had become aware of this when he had looked through the canteen menus the previous year.

He had then complained, but on December 10, a dish with beef was served again, for which organic white wine was used. The city emphasized that it attaches great importance to high-quality school meals and that the menus are put together by a nutritionist, even under the supervision of a paediatrician.

The reactions to the father's complaint vary, but he certainly caused a controversy. "I never put wine in my children's stews," said one French woman. That was shocking. "I've never read or seen that you can make a good sauce any other way," said another.

"You get upset about the white wine in a ragout, but not about giving your children products that are saturated with sugar and fats," grumbled another.