Aarhus: Kindergartens drop pork from menu

Aarhus: Kindergartens drop pork from menu

The six Langenæsstien kindergartens in Aarhus will not be serving meatballs, liver pate or sausages any more.

The administration has decided to drop pork from the menu, both in order to have healthier food and to prevent the Muslim children from accidentally eating the meat, says day-care manager Ruth Theilmann of Langenæsstien.

She says there were various people who could say that pork is a core values, but they don't think so, while it means a lot to the Muslim parents.

The Danish People's Party recently proposed that municipalities will require their institutions to serve a certain percentage of pork since it's traditional Danish food. But the argument is completely lost on Ruth Theilmann.

"So what do they know of other traditions? If I look at my own traditions, there's hasn't been a lot of pork in my home, neither as an adult nor as a child." She adds that the DPP are working out of a political perspective, while the kindergartens don't work this way.

The Danish parents have taken the pork-free menu calmly, and Ruth Theilman says there have been no reactions from them.

"It's not essential for the parents group here in the kindergarten that our children will have pork," Martin Ehlers, representative of the parents, told TV2.

But the Muslim parents are very happy that pork was replaced with chicken or lamb in the kindergartens.

"They're happy about it, and it's a good foundation for working together when it should not be a barrier when we talk together," says Ruth Theilmann.

DPP head Pia Kjærsgaard said in response that it's absolutely unreasonable that Danish children who are still the majority in the kindergartens, can't get pork.

But the Aarhus municipality doesn't want to get involved with what the kindergartens feed the children.

Jacob Bundsgaard Johansen, alderman for children and youth, says that as a politicians he doesn't want to get involved in what the parents and day-care think is best for their children, as long as they follow the official government recommendations.

Sources: Avisen, DR (Dansih)