Our experts Boyd Swinburn and Sally Mackay, along with Jamie de Seymour have written this briefing for the Public Health Communication Centre, exploring how the government-funded school lunches are failing nutrition standards.
They conclude:
- There is a lack of transparency in the content of many of the meals. We call for the energy and ingredient information for all meals to be provided with the inclusion of a percentage contribution of each ingredient to the total meal weight (based on cooked weights).
- The meals should be reviewed by the supplier and qualified nutritionists/dietitians to ensure they meet the Nutrition Standards for each of the year groups supplied.
- The energy content of all meals is inadequate and should be increased.
- Compliance with meeting Nutrition Standards should be part of an urgent full review of compliance across all contractual obligations.
