From 1 August this year, Gothenburg's municipal pre-schools will no longer offer vegan food to the families who request it, something that GP has also previously reported on. The Wikström family has been vegan for almost four years and 2-year-old Villdias has never tasted any kind of meat or dairy product. Soon it's time for him to start in preschool, but then he may need to switch to a vegetarian diet instead.

- If we are going to put our son in preschool and they say "No, he is not welcome here if he does not eat eggs and milk", it would have been seriously difficult, says Erik Wikström.

Not acceptable reason

The family does not eat animals for ethical reasons, which is no longer an acceptable reason for children to receive a special diet in pre-school according to the City of Gothenburg. The only permissible reasons to get a special diet are for medical reasons and religious reasons, and then the alternative to the regular food is vegetarian diet, not vegan.

- How can one aspire to be one of the most progressive cities in the world and then make a decision that belongs 10-20 years ago? asks Vildia's father Erik Wikström.

But what kind of ethical requirements do you think you can impose at a municipal preschool?

- You can't demand anything, but if we need to reduce meat and dairy products, why not make it as easy as possible for those who want to do it?

The decision to stop serving vegan diet in the preschool was supposed to take effect on April 1, but after many reactions, the decision has been postponed until August 1. The City of Gothenburg writes in a statement that they now want to investigate the issue more broadly and take into account more perspectives and facts.

Hear the family tell you more in the clip above.