Food Based Standards
The Government has introduced new food based standards for school lunches from September 2006. These have been revised during the summer of 2007.
The food based standards now in place state that the following must be achieved
· Fruit and vegetables – at least 2 servings per lunch-at least one should be vegetables or salad and at least one fruit. A fruit based dessert must be available at least twice per week in primary schools. This standard will no longer apply when the nutrient based standards are introduced.
· Red meat – which is regarded as beef, lamb and pork, as well as items like bacon and ham and also offal like liver, must be provided twice per week in primary schools and 3 times per week in secondary schools.
· Meat products – may be available occasionally provided that they meet the minimum meat content specified in the meat product regulations. These products include sausages, canned meat, sausage rolls, burgers and meat pies. These may be served no more than once every 2 weeks. Even if they are home made such as meat pies then their use on a menu is limited.
· Fish – must be on the menu once a week in primary schools and twice per week in secondary schools
· Oily fish – such as fresh or canned mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon or fresh tuna should be served at least once every 3 weeks
· Starchy foods – like potatoes, pasta, rice, noodles, or couscous must be available at every meal. Oil or fats should not be used to cook any starchy food on more than 3 days in any week. This includes potato chips, traditionally roasted potatoes, sauté potatoes, wedges and fried rice. When such foods are included an alternative not cooked in fat or oil should be offered.
· Bread – should be available throughout lunch every day. This should be plain without any spread on it.
· Deep fried items – no more than 2 deep fried items should be available in a single week. For example if deep fried fish and chips are provided then additional deep fried items cannot be given in the same week.
· No confectionery and savoury snacks should be available in schools – this includes all sweets and chocolate items. Chocolate as a powder like cocoa used in making chocolate cakes and low calorie drinking chocolate are permitted. Chocolate should not be used for coating cakes and flapjacks or used as chocolate chips in desserts. The only savoury snacks are nuts and seeds with no added sugar or salt. Plain popcorn is permitted.
· No salt or condiments should be available – any condiments such as tomato sauce and brown sauce should be served in sachets or provided by teaspoonfuls
· Milk and dairy foods – like yoghurt, cheese, Fromage frais and custards should be available. Only skimmed or semi-skimmed milk should be provided.
· Drinks – the only drinks permitted are plain water (still or sparkling), skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, fruit and vegetable juices, plain (unflavoured and unsweetened ) soya, yoghurt drinks, smoothies, water or milk, tea, coffee, low calorie hot chocolate. Yoghurt and milk drinks may contain, stabilisers, artificial sweeteners or less than 5% added sugar.
Water must be free and fresh and available throughout the school day so that pupils can help themselves.
Meat products are restricted and the standards on this group of foods have been revised. A product from each group must be provided no more then once per fortnight
· Group 1 – burger, hamburger, chopped meat, corned meat
· Group 2 – sausage, sausage meat, link, chipolata, luncheon meat
· Group 3 – individual meat pie, meat pudding, Melton Mowbray pie, game pie, scotch pie, pastry, bridie, sausage rolls
· Any other shaped or coated meat product
This means in practice for example that beef burgers whether brought in or home made can only be provided once every two weeks. Sausages also whether low fat, low salt or home made can also be only served once every two weeks.
From September 2007 additional food based standards for food other than at lunch have been introduced. Food services other than lunch must comply with the new standards which are listed briefly below:
More of these healthier items:-
More fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables must be provided in all school food outlets.
Drinking Water
Free, fresh drinking water should be provided at all times.
Healthier Drinks
The only drinks permitted during the school day are plain water (still or sparkling), skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, fruit juice, plain yoghurts drinks, or combinations of the above. Tea coffee and low calorie hot chocolate are also permitted.
Restricted or no longer allowed
No confectionery
Confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate coated or flavoured biscuits, sweets and cereal bars must not be provided.
Salt and Condiment – restricted
Salt must not be provided at tables or service counters, Condiments, such as ketchup and mayonnaise, must only be available in sachets or individual portions of not more than 10g or 1 teaspoonful.
Snacks – restricted
Snacks such as crisps must not be provided. Nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with no added salt, sugar or fat are allowed.
No cakes and biscuits
Cakes and biscuits must not be provided (except at lunchtime)
Deep fried food – restricted
Two deep fried foods per week are allowed across lunch and all other food services.
Starchy food – Restricted
Starchy food cooked in fat or oil must not be used in the cooking process more than three times a week across lunch and all other food service.
Meat products – restricted
A meat product (manufactured or homemade) from each of the four groups may be provided no more then once per fortnight, providing the meat product also meets the standards for minimum meat content and does not contain any prohibited offal:
From September 2008 nutrient based standards are to be required in Primary schools and from September 2009 nutrient based standards are to be introduced into secondary schools.
More information can be obtained from www.schoolfoodtrust.or.uk.
