Malnutrition and violation of nutritional standards in Lviv kindergartens: results of inspections during the war
During a full-scale war, preschools remain not only basic educational centers, but also a key environment in the daily life of large numbers of children. Among them are not only local, but also children from families of internally displaced persons. In Lviv, preschool infrastructure has been working with increased workload for a long time: children from different regions of Ukraine are in institutions and need care. That is why the results of the inspections, which showed numerous violations in the organization of meals in the city’s kindergartens, cause particular concern. These are not isolated cases, but systemic problems that were revealed during inspections by the State Production and Consumer Service in May 2025.
Results of inspection of kindergartens
As reported In May 2025, the Lviv City Department of the State Production and Consumer Service conducted commission inspections of 18 preschool education institutions of the Lviv City Territorial Community. Inspections were carried out together with representatives of the Department of Education and Culture of the Lviv City Council. Inspections covered all key aspects of the operation of food units: from the organization of food storage to monitoring compliance with food standards, temperature regimes and product labeling.
Violations were recorded in five preschool education institutions: No. 153, No. 132, No. 94, No. 69, and No. 45. All of them did not have a backup water supply, which is a mandatory element of a safe food organization. In conditions where the water supply in the city is not always stable, the lack of backup systems in children’s institutions carries immediate risks for children’s health.
In the course of inspections, it was established that certain kindergartens do not comply with the consumption norms of the main groups of products. It is about systematic non-compliance with the norms of consumption of vegetables, fruits and poultry meat – both during breakfast and at lunch or dinner. These norms are regulated by Appendix No. 1 to Resolution No. 305 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated March 24, 2021 and are mandatory for the five-day regime of a child’s stay in a preschool.
In a number of cases, the use of food products without manufacturer’s labeling was found. In particular, we are talking about bread, pickles and frozen fruits. The lack of information about the manufacturer of the product makes it impossible to trace its origin and observe sanitary and hygienic standards during transportation and storage. Violations of the temperature regime were also found: instead of chilled meat, frozen meat was used, and butter was stored in violation of the established conditions.
In addition to direct violations of food standards, inspections revealed significant infrastructure problems. Yes, according to the results of the review of 18 institutions:
– 22% of food blocks need major repairs;
– 55% — urgent renewal of technological equipment.
This means that more than half of the tested kindergartens work with equipment that does not meet modern requirements for storing, preparing and serving food. In wartime conditions, when even rudimentary stability is maintained in some places by the efforts of personnel, the wear and tear of equipment and the lack of backup systems create situations of constant risk.
One of the main conclusions drawn from the results of the inspections was the finding of insufficient control by the administrations of the institutions. In particular, there was no proper supervision of the storage conditions of the products, their expiration dates, compliance with the requirements for the technological process, and the conformity of the menu. The commission emphasized that in some cases there was a complete departure from the regulated norms, and the responsible persons could not provide adequate documentation or explanations.
The Context of War: Why Nutritional Disorders in Kindergartens Matter
As of 2025, not only children of local residents, but also a large part of children from IDP families will study and be educated in Lviv preschools. Many of these children have been living in Lviv since 2022-2023, some of them not for the first year. They have the same rights to safe and nutritious food as the children of the community’s indigenous population. War, lack of resources and logistical difficulties cannot be excuses for violations when it comes to the nutrition of preschool children.
While a significant part of humanitarian aid is focused specifically on supporting families with children, the results of the inspection indicate ineffective management of resources in terms of food organization. In a situation where a child comes to kindergarten not only to study, but also to receive daily care, malnutrition and questionable quality of products become not statistics, but evidence of a systemic failure to provide basic needs.
Based on the results of the inspections, the Lviv State Production and Consumer Service transferred the materials to the Department of Education and Culture of the city. The development of measures to eliminate the detected violations is expected. However, as the experience of previous years shows, even serious remarks do not always lead to operational changes. Some of the problems are related to a lack of funding, others to a lack of systemic responsibility.
If the situation remains unaddressed, there is a risk that systemic malnutrition in kindergartens, poor storage conditions and the use of products of questionable quality will become the norm. At a time when the state itself declares the priority of protecting children, ignoring such results looks at least contradictory. Especially since preschool age is a critical period in a child’s physical and cognitive development.
The results of inspections in preschool institutions of Lviv are the subject of professional attention of inspectors, as well as a clear signal for the community, local self-government bodies and state structures.
