PRESSURES on the food industry have hit school dinners, with hundreds of children's meals affected by staffing shortages.
Despite caterers working into the evening to meet demand, one kitchen operated by the Education Authority (EA) has been forced to suspend hot dinners for children entitled to free school meals.
They have been receiving cold lunches, while other pupils whose parents pay for `dinners' have had the `in school' provision suspended entirely.
Three schools in north Belfast have been affected by the disruption at the Fortwilliam kitchen.
"All areas of the food industry are facing significant challenges at present including our own school meals catering service," an EA spokesman said.
"Along with colleagues across the industry we have experienced staffing pressures.
"Staff absenteeism can present at short notice and the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to some but not the majority of these staff pressures."
It is understood that staff numbers have fallen compared with the beginning of the pandemic, with EA kitchens reflecting a trend which has seen a significant proportion of people leaving the industry over the last 19 months.
"There is currently a disruption to normal service at our Fortwilliam kitchen and we are working extremely hard to keep this disruption to a minimum," the spokesman said.
"It is our aim and preference to provide a hot meal for pupils who enjoy our free school meals.
"If it is not possible to provide a hot meal a packed lunch is provided as an alternative and our young people continue to receive a healthy and nutritious food option in school.
"Fortwilliam caters for a number of schools with three schools receiving a packed lunch option at present.
“We are currently in the midst of a recruitment drive to add to our hard working, professional and dedicated catering staff and are looking at other ways to support to the service in the coming months."
The setback comes as schools are reporting a fall in the numbers of families applying for free school meals - despite indications more children are in poverty in Northern Ireland.
There have been between 10,000-15,000 fewer applications, with suggestions a move to online applications has led to the dip in a year when, according to the Trussell Trust, food bank need for Northern Ireland children reached a "historic level".
