Furikake fury breaks out as parents slam puny lunch seasoning portions

Furikake fury breaks out as parents slam puny lunch seasoning portions

2026-11-05

A battle over rice seasoning has put fresh criticism on Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s free school lunch program. The controversy centers on a tiny packet of furikake seasoning at an elementary school, where teachers were reportedly asked to hand out just 2g per student. The arrangement has sparked questions over whether the meals are enough for children and whether the policy is placing extra responsibilities on teachers. Chiang has promised to ease their workload, while his mayoral challenger Puma Shen is questioning the lack of supporting measures behind the program.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s program to offer free school lunches in Taipei has been shrouded in controversy since it launched two months ago. The latest scandal was in Yong’an Elementary School in Zhongshan District.

A resealable plastic bag packed with furikake seasoning carries a note with instructions for teachers: “2g per person please help portion.” A parent shared the picture on social media saying “No wonder nobody wants to be a teacher now, you worry about the kids being hungry and you have extra duties.”

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
I have asked the Education Department to tell schools that the food should be portioned in a way that lightens the burden on teachers.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
His free school lunch program lacks supporting measures. It can’t be that the city launches a school lunch policy that requires getting help from the parents. The government’s duty is to listen to what the people are saying. Instead, every time that someone raises questions their response is to say, “No, we’re doing a great job.”

One tallied up the school lunch scandals, counting 2g of furikake, three bigger-than-normal blueberries and four longans. Another one compared Taipei with Tainan, where each student gets a full packet with a whopping 13g of furikake seasoning.

The school has come out to explain the situation. Since furikake is a seasoning, it is not counted as part of the meal and is therefore provided separately to also account for students with allergies. As for the instructions regarding the portions, the school says it previously received complaints that some students were getting more seasoning than others. Now, if they want more, they can just ask the teacher.

Tung Yu-wen
Yong’an Elementary School nutritionist
Our school has been providing furikake seasoning this way for years. The serving of 2g is just the recommended amount. There are no rules to enforce how the seasoning is portioned, and there are no limits on how much they can use. Students who want more can get more from the seasoning area.

Chang Hui-ping
Nutritionist
Furikake seasoning is mixed in with rice to add some flavor. It’s not a dish in itself. It doesn’t really affect the nutritional value of the meals, but it does contain salt, so children are advised to eat it in moderation.

Taipei’s Education Department has asked the school to revise its procedures to not add extra burden onto teachers. Meanwhile nutritionists continue to work for the health of students.

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