News

Figures published today by the Children’s Food Trust (CFT) have shown an increase in the number of children and young people having a healthy school meal for the fourth year running.

On average, the take up of primary school meals in the CFT 2011-12 Survey appears to have risen from 44.1% to 46.3% and in secondary schools, from 37.6% to 39.8% between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

LACA (Local Authority Caterers Association) is encouraged by the CFT Survey showing a rise in school meal take up in both Primary and Secondary Schools.

The Association says: “Based upon the CFT statistics, the increase quoted is a positive sign of ongoing improvement. In order to maintain take up or to increase further the number of children and young people having a school meal, it is essential that the school catering industry continues to receive the support for the service it needs in order to maintain quality and to keep prices at affordable levels for parents.

“It is clear that excellent progress is being made. However, not all schools are bound by the Nutritional Standards regulations. Given the worrying rise in diet-related diseases such as diabetes together with the long-term impact of escalating obesity in this country, it is imperative that academy schools are now brought into line with maintained schools so that all schools are required to abide by the rules.

“An amendment to the Nutritional Standards legislation to ensure that this happens, would have a zero cost.

“We cannot afford to allow standards to slip whilst we await the outcome of the Department for Education’s latest assessment of food in schools, announced on July 4th and the publication of its action plan sometime during 2013.

“A lack of action now on this issue will increasingly allow poor nutritional habits to creep back in and for the good work to be undone in the intervening time.

“These CFT Survey findings also indicate that attitudes to healthy eating are continuing to change. We always said that this would take at least 10 years of collective effort by all those concerned with school food provision and the health and wellbeing of children.

“Through sheer hard work, perseverance and dedication of our front line catering teams in schools across the country, we are now winning over hearts, minds and stomachs of children as well as their parents.

“They need to be applauded for their unfailing commitment to the children and young people they serve.”