The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 (SI 1603/2014) have been promulgated, setting out the rules for school lunches and other food provided in school which will come into force on 1 January 2015. They apply to:
- maintained schools
- pupil referral units
- academies, except for those those who entered into funding agreements between September 2010 and June 2014 (when apparently no relevant clause was included in the funding agreement)
- maintained nurseries and nursery units within a primary school
- food provided by a local authority or governing body to pupils on school trips of 7 days or longer
Requirements for school lunches include:
- meat or poultry at least 3 times per week, but processed meat no more than once (primary schools) or twice (secondary schools) per week and no economy burgers
- oily fish at least once every 3 weeks
- one portion each of vegetables, fruit and dairy (cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais and custard) per day
- fried food and food including pastry no more than twice a week
- a fruit-based dessert (at least 50% fruit) at least 2 times per week
- no salt to be available to add to food
- semi-skimmed and lactose reduced milk to be available at some point during school day
And when reaching for your afternoon snack, note the rules for food provided otherwise than as part of a school lunch (i.e. tuck shops etc.):
- fruit and/or vegetables must be available
- no sweets, cakes, biscuits, savoury crackers or breadsticks
- no crisps or other pre-packaged snacks apart from nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat
- no sweet fizzy drinks
The Department for Education has also published advice for governing bodies on the new rules which is available, together with a copy of the regulations, here.
Bon appetit!