In a bid to tackle childhood obesity, the government have announced an overhaul of school food standards in England.
The new rules, the first major updated in 13 years, will come into force from September and will see fruit replace ‘sugar-laden treats’ for the majority of the school week.
Staples such as fish and chips, steamed sponge puddings and chicken nuggets will be banned and schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options like sausage rolls and pizza.
NHS data, published in January 2024, revealed 24% of nursery and primary school children were overweight or living with obesity.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the changes are ‘the most ambitious overhaul of school food in a generation’.
‘Every child deserves to have delicious nutritious food at school that gives them the energy to concentrate, learn and thrive – meals that children will actually recognise and enjoy, backed by robust compliance so that good standards on paper become good food on the plate,’ she added.
Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon chain and co-author of the 2013 school food plan, said the new standards are ‘a rare chance to reset school food’.
Dimbleby said the changes would provide ‘wider access to free school meals and higher standards, with proper monitoring to help schools improve what ends up on the plate’, but would only work if the government and schools showed a proper commitment to it.
‘September can mark the start of a new normal, where every child can count on a lunch that is both delicious and nutritious, and every parent can have real confidence in what’s being served,’ he explained. ‘Done right, it will boost children’s health, their academic outcomes and their chances of success in later life.’
On the subject of children’s health, obesity poses severe short- and long-term risks including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and fatty liver disease.
What’s more, children with obesity are more likely to develop mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Research suggests children living with obesity are up to seven times more likely to develop mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. A study published in August 2023 found approximately 30-50% of children with obesity experience moderate to severe depression, while one third report high anxiety.
The chef Jamie Oliver, who has campaigned for more than two decades to improve school food, said he is ‘delighted this government is now updating and enforcing’ standards. He described school food as the ‘most important restaurant chain’ in the country.
‘Twenty years ago, dog food had higher standards than school dinners,’ Oliver remarked. ‘From September, during term-time, schools will provide two-thirds of a child’s daily diet – a massive opportunity to improve health at scale.’
Image: CDC/UnSplash
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