Milk-Agro positions itself as a responsible partner. In the field of environmental protection, it teaches children to separate aluminum caps and Tetra Pak packaging. The well-known competition Recycle and Win also has a category where there is no recycling, but you still win. We talked with Mrs. Viera Kuzmovičová, director of the canteen at the Andrej Hlinka Kindergarten in Stropkov.
How many children do you feed at your kindergarten?
This school year, we cook for 160 children aged three to six years.
As the head of the canteen, you can do a lot for healthy eating of children...
Yes, I can, and my cooks and I strive for that, and I am convinced we succeed. It starts with purchasing ingredients; we select quality ingredients, preferably from local or regional suppliers.
What limitations do you face in this effort?
It is the budget and bad eating habits of some children. The food allowance has recently increased, allowing us to buy more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, but bad eating habits are hard and slow to break. Children are used to sweets, and we teach them that empty calories without vitamins do not benefit them.
And what helps you in this effort?
For example, legislation that prohibits serving fried foods to children, but mostly, we have suppliers of healthy products. We cooperate with Milk-Agro, which supplies us with its SABI products. These are quality and tasty products loved not only by children but also by their parents. In conversations with them, I learn that if children like some SABI products at kindergarten, they ask for them at home, and parents allow it.
But you are not involved in the School Milk Program...
I know Milk-Agro and many schools have signed a contract with Organika, through which schools manage the milk program. But we have a supply contract with Milk-Agro. Both forms have advantages and disadvantages; our school, mainly due to less administrative burden, purchases based on a supply contract with Milk-Agro. In both cases, logistics are provided directly by Milk-Agro, and we are very satisfied.
How often do they deliver?
They deliver to us up to four times a week. This is a big advantage because planning is easier, and we always have fresh products. We do not need large refrigeration capacity and do not worry that if children get sick and do not come, we will have unused stock. We order as much as we need, and they deliver that much. Fresh and directly to us; we do not have to go anywhere.
Last school year, you won first place in the Recycle and Win competition...
Yes, in the largest consumer category. The advantage is that this category is divided into kindergartens and primary schools, so even though we are not a large school, we won.
Which SABI products do children like the most?
We give them yogurts and yogurt drinks, but they like the dairy treats Integráčik and Sabináčik the most...
COMPETITION CATEGORIES
A – collect aluminum caps from SABI products
A1 – facilities up to 50 pupils
A2 – facilities from 51 to 150 pupils
A3 – facilities from 151 to 350 pupils
A4 – facilities over 351 pupils
B – collect Tetra Pak from fresh SABI milk
B1 – facilities up to 50 pupils
B2 – facilities from 51 to 150 pupils
B3 – facilities from 151 to 350 pupils
B4 – facilities over 351 pupils
AB – Best collector of packaging from SABI products
C – Every school wins (we buy back Tetra Paks and aluminum caps from our products)
D – Best MILK-AGRO customer (wins the one who buys the most from us)
E – Creation from SABI products (free creation)
E1 – Kindergartens
E2 – Primary and secondary schools
F – Song (audio recording)
F1 – Kindergartens
F2 – Primary and secondary schools
G – Video (short video on FB MILK-AGRO)
