Foodinsider 2025/2026 survey on school canteens
The Foodinsider survey of Italian school menus, now in its eleventh edition, analysed catering services for the 2025/2026 school year. The study examined 64 services in 63 municipalities, covering around 450,000 meals a day in total. None of the Piedmontese municipalities examined features among the top places in the national ranking [1].
Method and results
The ranking is based on a maximum score of 294 points and assesses factors such as ingredient quality, the presence of organic products, menu variety and attention to sustainability. Parma holds onto first place with 243 points, followed by Cremona with 237. Third place is shared by Fano and Jesi, both with 220 points. The top ten is completed by Ancona, Sesto Fiorentino, Udine (in the services run by CIRFOOD and by CAMST, with separate scores), Lecce and Rimini [1].
Piedmont's absence
No Piedmontese municipality appears among the top ten of the ranking. According to the survey, this absence alone does not establish the overall quality of the region's school canteens, but it shows that none of Piedmont's local services reached the scores of the municipalities at the top of the ranking [1].
National trends
The study records some changes in the eating habits of Italian canteens. The share of menus featuring legumes as a main course at least three times a month rose from 7.7% in 2020 to 31.3% today, while the use of at least four different cereals a month rose from 40.4% to 64.1%. Some problems remain, however: 73.4% of the menus analysed still include at least one processed or pre-cooked dish, and over a quarter of the services do not monitor food waste [1].
Sources
- CronacaQui Torino — 9 November 2026