A collective of parents from the Virgen del Carmen nursery in Los Realejos, operating under the Department of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children and Families, expressed their disappointment over the decision to employ a catering service following the departure of the centre’s cook, who catered to infants aged 0 to 3 years. They argue that the menu is “laden with salt, sugar and processed foods, leading to digestive and skin issues in our infants.” Furthermore, they highlight that upon requesting information from the catering service regarding the ingredients used, they found “ultra-processed items, excessive levels of salt, sugars, and bottled condiments such as mayonnaise and barbecue sauce,” among other items.
In response, the department informed DIARIO DE AVISOS that the cook has retired and that efforts to appoint a replacement are ongoing, adhering to the necessary timelines. They noted that the replacement lists for all roles have been exhausted, and several recruitment processes for new staff are currently ongoing. For particular roles including educator, cook, kitchen assistant, and waitress-cleaner, examinations have already been conducted and the compilation of lists is in progress.
The department explained that a catering service was selected to ensure that the children would not be required to leave the centre prematurely, which would severely inconvenience parents unable to balance their work and family commitments, stressing that this arrangement is temporary and that the catering service is “certified by a qualified nutritionist.”
