Is your kids school one of the 4? Plans to feed children insects across four primary schools in Wales.
Welsh Conservatives slam plan to feed children bugs
The Welsh Conservatives have expressed astonishment towards plans to feed children insects across four primary schools in Wales.
Shadow Education Minister Laura Anne Jones MS has written to her Labour counterpart in government to question how this was allowed.
The plans are happening as part of an investigation by Cardiff University and the University of the West of England to gauge youngsters' appetite for “alternative protein”, using children aged 5-11.
The children will reportedly be given a product called VeXo – said to look like "conventional" mince – a combination of insect and plant-based protein.
Ms Jones called in her letter for the Education Minister to step in “to ensure our children are protected, parents are well-informed and that there is a choice to take part, and not mandatory enforcement”.
The South Wales East MS added that politicians should “be supporting our local rural economies and farmers, providing balanced, healthy meal choices”.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Education Minister Laura Anne Jones MS said:
“It is absolutely ludicrous that young children are being used as guinea pigs to test the absurd desires of scientists who prefer bugs to beef.
“The Labour Government need to answer questions about how this was allowed to happen, did they sanction this, have parents been made aware, can children say no in favour of proper food, and why the sustainable nature of Welsh farming is being undermined like this.
“We know the challenges of climate change and proposals to diversify diets, but that does not mean a handful of zealots can impose their way of life on an uninterested populace, especially children, without proper and genuine consent.
“I look forward to the Minister’s reply where he will hopefully put an end to this nonsense.”