Initial concerns that school lunch programs would divert resources from other education and welfare initiatives were short-lived, as local governments quickly shifted their support toward the initiative. Some parents’ groups have said the program could affect school lunch quality or deepen disparity among regions. Their concerns are not unfounded, as local governments have different financial capacities and conditions, and the average cost of school lunches varies between regions. Now that local governments are fully funding school lunch programs, it is uncertain whether they would require catering companies to continue meeting the 3L1Q standard when sourcing ingredients. Some specialists have said that, unlike Japan and South Korea, Taiwan does not have a dedicated law regulating school lunch standards, such as on nutrition, the proportion of locally sourced ingredients and a dietitian-to-student ratio.
