The expert urged not to spend subsidies on school meals for other needs.

The decision of the Arbitration Court of the North-Western District legalizes the practice when part of the federal subsidy aimed at free meals for schoolchildren will be spent on cooks' salaries, rental of premises and repair of equipment, which can directly affect the quality of nutrition for children, said Vladimir Chernigov, president of the Institute of Industrial Nutrition.

The amount of the subsidy, according to him, is now determined from a clear logic — the cost of products. But given the need for catering, this subsidy is often spent on related items. The Arbitration Court of the North-Western District recognized this practice as legitimate.

"The consequences of legalizing this phenomenon are that children's plate will be half empty legally," the expert warned.

The situation is also particularly dangerous in the sense that the regions will soon begin competitive nutrition procedures in the 2026-2027 academic year, and the new practice may finally take hold, the source added, urging close monitoring of the situation.

Read more about the court decision and its consequences for the school nutrition industry in the Izvestia article.

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