Celiac.com 06/30/2018 - It seems there’s a bit of a gluten-free and halal food controversy going on across the pond. For those who don’t know, ‘Halal’ is the Muslim equivalent of what Jewish folks call ‘Kosher.’ Basically, it means food prepared to certain standards and blessed for consumption.
The Aureus School in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England is being decried by angry parents as “like a dictatorship” after the school banned packed lunches and began serving pupils gluten-free options, including halal meat, water and salad. The ruckus began when the school recently banned students from bringing lunches and snacks from home, and began a program to make sure that “all students have access to a daily nutritious home-cooked family meal.”
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This is fine in principal, say angry parents, but in practice has become “draconian.” One father, who asked not to be named, said that he and his wife were “thinking of taking [their daughter] out of the school, adding that the situation was “getting silly and more like a dictatorship. Their views are quite extreme.”
The dad said that "It's about choice. It's supposed to be an inclusive school but they are only catering for one particular religion.” He added that he had tried unsuccessfully to get the policies changed since September.
So, whereas in days past, lunch might mean whatever mom saw fit to pack, these days at Aureus School lunch means the choice of a hot halal meat meal, hot gluten-free vegetarian meal, a jacket potato, a salad, a pasta pot or a baguette. The school insists that only water be drunk on site because “hydrated brains learn better”.
The school states that their Halal kitchen policy is simply a move to “celebrate the diversity of our country’s culture,” in addition to providing nutritious food for the children.
What do you think? A gluten-free and Halal lunch bridge too far, or a good meal for the kids?
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