TAIWAN Taipei adds milk to all schoolchildren’s diet

The government has launched a plan to promote consumption among 1.34 million children aged 3 to 12 who attend nursery and primary schools. It is a food that is traditionally not very present in local eating habits, but consumption is currently growing rapidly in the Chinese world.

Taipei (/Agencies) – The Taiwanese government has launched a plan to promote milk consumption among children aged 3 to 12 in schools. The Ministry of Education and Agriculture are working to launch the initiative from September, when schools reopen, with the intention of making it a permanent policy of the country. The aim – says Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao – is to provide children with the fresh and safe milk they need to become healthy adults. Children who are lactose intolerant (a common disorder in the region) will receive calcium-enriched soy milk.

Taiwan’s government has launched a tender to supply milk to 1.34 million children enrolled in 2,600 primary and nursery schools, with a four-year budget of NT$4.4 billion (about 123 million euros). Local producers will be given priority, but the plan is also linked to the expected increase in milk imports from New Zealand, as part of the Taipei-Auckland free trade agreement that will come into force next year and under which tariffs will be eliminated on 99.88% of imported products.

Traditionally, milk has been a relatively small part of Chinese eating habits, but today consumption is growing rapidly. The most recent statistics show Taiwan’s average annual per capita consumption is 20.27 kg, a 9% increase compared to 2019, but still well below the average of 52.81 kg in the European Union or 91.91 kg in Australia. However, consumption in Taiwan is much higher than the average of 11.73 kg in the People’s Republic of China, although an increase of 26% has been recorded in the last four years.