Government to ban junk food in schools

by Sarah Woods, Brand Republic 19-May-06, 12:30

LONDON – School dinners in England are set for a healthy shake-up this autumn, with the banning of meals high in salt, fat and sugar, the Government has announced.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson has published nutrition guidelines to ensure healthier eating in schools and will also ban meals containing low quality meat, which means that Turkey Twizzlers which came to fame in 'Jamie's School Dinners' are unlikely to make a comeback.

Jamie Oliver's Channel 4 series helped kick-start the debate on healthier meals for children at school. It highlighted some of the poor quality food that children were being served.

The government's move follows proposals by Ofcom for restrictions on promoting unhealthy food to children in television ads in March – firm plans will be decided in June.

The proposals include options based on restricting the content, timing, sponsorship and volume of food and drink ads, following a 12-week consultation on the regulation of TV advertising on fast foods high in fat, salt or sugar aimed at children.

The standards published today are in line with the recommendations of the Government's School Meals Review Panel.

From this September school lunches must be free from low-quality meat products, fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolates or other confectionary.

High-quality meat, poultry or oily fish must be available on a daily basis, pupils will be served a minimum of two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal and any deep-fried items must be restricted to no more than two portions a week.

As schools also end the sale of junk food in vending machines and tuck shops, the School Food Trust will work to promote sales of healthy snacks and drinks such as water, milk, fruit juices and yoghurt drinks.

Schools will be required to go even further, with more stringent nutrient-based standards.

Johnson said: "These new standards will start to undo decades of neglect and ensure that healthy eating is the norm in every school."

This move is aimed at ensuring a minimum of 50p per head for school meal ingredients in primary schools and 60p for secondries. Secondary schools will follow a year later.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.