The municipal Education Service has conducted inspections and continuous monitoring, revealing indications of non-compliance by the concessionaire responsible for feeding children in the city's educational centers. This decision comes after coordination with school administrations and family associations, and thanks to the implementation of a specific technical figure who conducts periodic visits and direct inspection tasks.
Among the rigorously detected irregularities are deficiencies in ingredients, portions below recommended grammages, insufficient protein in some menus, as well as shortcomings in equipment maintenance and the replacement of basic utensils. Furthermore, non-compliance with transparency and control obligations has been noted, such as the failure to provide essential documentation on organic product purchases and complete attendance data for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“"We consider this highly questionable. In a concession contract, operational risk usually falls to the awarded company, and neither the current specifications nor the information provided stipulate that this cost should be automatically passed on to families. Moreover, public funds are also affected, as part of the service is financed by municipal meal scholarships. If it is confirmed that a service not rendered was paid for, these amounts should also be reviewed."
The company now has a ten-working-day period to present its allegations. Concurrently, the municipal government has announced that daily control of the service will be intensified in all centers where the concessionaire manages the dining hall. This situation adds to a complaint from the parents' association, which demands the reimbursement of money charged for a day of service not provided on February 12, when school activities were suspended due to a strong wind episode.
Looking ahead to the 2027-2028 academic year, the Terrassa City Council is working on structural measures to improve the school meal service, taking advantage of the fact that the contract must be re-tendered. The impact of the detected non-compliance will be analyzed in the future tender to ensure higher quality standards. Likewise, a new dining model is being defined that will incorporate more demanding criteria for food quality, product proximity, and control systems, and the incorporation of socio-educational profiles linked to the city's third sector is being studied to strengthen monitoring and coordination with schools.
