Small parties criticize Taipei for making school meals free
Small parties criticize Taipei for making school meals free
2026-01-12
Taipei recently proposed making school lunches free of charge for all in the city, prompting many other counties and cities to follow suit. But several small political parties say that the program is just a vote-buying scheme by Mayor Chiang Wan-an. Critics say that it’s prompted other local leaders to follow Taipei blindly, without taking the reality of the situation and finances into account. They say that if local governments fully cover the cost of meals, the budget allocation will be locked in, which in the future could lead to lower quality as prices rise. Let’s hear more.
Claire Wang
New Power Party Chair
This is vote-buying of the cheapest kind. Taipei has the most resources in Taiwan, and should have played a leading role by creating transparent pricing formulas and trial programs to show the public what is high-quality and trustworthy food and agriculture education. Instead, Mayor Chiang Wan-an decided to be lazy and throw money at it. It’s a vote-buying scheme.
Kan Chung-wei
New Taipei Councilor Candiate (GP)
There is less fruit and yoghurt and more processed foods. There are even foreign objects in the meals. We want this superficial competition for welfare to end, and instead put the focus on improving the quality of school lunches.
Wu Hsin-tai
Taipei Councilor candidate (TSP)
Free things are the most expensive. It’s not that parents don’t need subsidies. It’s that free meals for all without any supporting measures will lead to declining quality, increased waste and resource hoarding. These policies are very appealing in an election year, but children’s health shouldn’t be a campaign tool.
A candidate for Taipei’s City Council says that there is precedent for their concerns. In, 2021 a school lunch food safety controversy erupted in Yilan. Quality declined, food waste surged, and even food poisoning incidents were reported after free lunch policies were implemented. She called for a more comprehensive oversight system and urged the swift passage of legislation to ensure children’s health and safety.
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#food #school #schoolmeal #food #nutrition
北市拋營養午餐免費! 小黨轟蔣萬安"政策買票"釀群起效尤
2026-01-12
日前台北市拋出"營養午餐免費"，大部分縣市紛紛跟進。多個小黨組成的"台灣前進陣線"召開記者會，怒批蔣萬安的行為，是"最廉價的政策賣票"，造成其他首長群起效尤，他們點出政府全額買單，將鎖死供餐成本，一旦物價上漲，廠商使用的食材、菜色，都可能大打折扣，到時犧牲的是孩子的健康。
[[時代力量黨主席 王婉諭]]
“我們認為這是最廉價的政治買票，台北市是擁有全台最多資源，本來應該要扮演著領頭羊的角色，透明的計價公式，又或者是試辦，什麼叫做高品質，讓大家放心的食農教育。蔣萬安市長卻選擇用最懶惰的方法，全面地來買單，政治買票。”
[[新北新莊議員參選人(台灣綠黨) 甘崇緯]]
“水果、優酪乳越來越少，加工食品越來越多，甚至菜裡有異物的狀況，要求停止表面上的福利競賽，請先提升營養午餐的品質。”
[[台北港湖議員參選人(台灣基進) 吳欣岱]]
“免錢的最貴，不是因為家長不需要補助，而是因為完全沒有配套措施的全面免費，品質下降、浪費增加、資源排擠。政策在選舉年非常有吸引力的，（但）孩子的健康不應該變成選舉工具。”
吳欣岱以2021年宜蘭營養午餐食安風波為例，免費政策上路後，品質下降、廚餘暴增，甚至爆發食物中毒事件，呼籲應該有更完整的監督制度，並盡快通過"學校供餐法"，保障孩子吃得健康。
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