EVALUATION OF SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM
School Feeding. Food restriction. Food and nutrition security.
The National School Feeding Program (PNAE) is considered the largest public policy in food and nutrition in the country. In order to meet Special Food Needs (SFN), it is determined by law that it is mandatory to prepare menus that include students with SFN, those with food allergies, diabetes, lactose intolerance, celiac disease or another condition that may require specific school meals. Considering the relevance of the theme, the present research aimed to evaluate the reception of students with SFN in public schools in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). To this end, a cross-sectional study was carried out, with a probabilistic sampling plan, stratified by sphere of education, at three levels: municipal, state and federal; whose data collection took place through the application, to the responsible for the management of the school unit, of a semi-structured questionnaire, prepared from the reference guide on school feeding for students with SFN. Data were collected from 609 schools in the RN, 461 of which were municipal schools, 142 state schools and 6 federal schools. Preliminary results showed that 51% of municipal schools welcome students with SFN, while 25% and 50% of state and federal schools, respectively, welcome them. Therefore, it is noted that the qualification of strategies towards the achievement of Food and Nutrition Security in the scenario of special dietary need s, based on the inclusion of the Human Right to Adequate Food in the care field under the responsibility of the PNAE, is essential.