Oftentimes, the biggest obstacle to having a healthy diet is the absence of high-quality food, especially in public institutions such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc. Considering the amount of time that children spend at school, as well as the fact that in many European countries children consume at least one daily main meal there, schools are an ideal environment for supporting healthy behaviours.
The total social foodservice market in the EU (including private sector expenditure) has been estimated at €82 billion. This constitutes a sizable market as well as a powerful market force that should not be ignored. Public sector institutions as centres of procurement represent a significant part of the procurement of any national food economy and a large portion of food that people consume every day.