In November, as part of the “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project, four pilot schools in Latgale — Mērdzene Primary School, Ludza City Secondary School, Preiļi Primary School No. 1 and Riebiņi Primary School — once again gathered students to jointly test and evaluate new food recipes.

In this round of testing, students tasted two new dishes — chicken fillet in “Curry Potter” sauce and energy patties. Exploring new flavours, including curry spice, received positive feedback from the children and helped determine which recipes would best fit into future school menus.

To collect students’ opinions, the smiley-face voting method was used again — students selected the green smiley next to the dishes they liked the most. This simple and child-friendly approach continues to prove effective in obtaining reliable results and valuable feedback.

Already in the second testing round, it was clear that children felt more confident — they knew the tasting process, expressed their opinions more freely, and participated with genuine interest. Their growing confidence and curiosity show that students perceive the project as an engaging experience that brings fresh dynamics to everyday school life.

The project team emphasizes that student involvement is highly important — they actively taste, share their thoughts, and openly try new flavours.

The results collected in November will be analysed together with the data from the first round to move closer to the goal — creating a recipe collection suitable for buffet-style catering, aligned with healthy eating guidelines and supporting food waste reduction.

This project is co-financed by the European Union. The Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 promotes cross-border cooperation to address shared challenges and build a more sustainable, innovative, and inclusive Central Baltic region.

Programme website: https://centralbaltic.eu/

Official EU website: www.europa.eu

Contact:
Rita Ivanova
Daugavpils University
Senior Project Manager
E-mail: rita.ivanova@du.lv
Phone.: 29857838

This publication has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union. Daugavpils University is solely responsible for the content of this publication, which should not be regarded as reflecting the views of the European Union