Meeting nutritional standards

25th March 2009, 9:49am

Chartwells, the education arm of Compass Group UK and Ireland, has been working in partnership with the School Food Trust (SFT) on the introduction of the nutrient based standards for secondary schools.

The team of nutritionists and executive chefs, working with suppliers and the students, has developed recipes and menus that meet both the food based and nutrient standards and Chartwells will continue the journey to ensure that they have all of the secondary schools, in which they operate, compliant by September.

Following a successful trial in Heathside School in Surrey, Chartwells embarked on fast track trials in three schools in Sheffield and four in Merton.

In Sheffield, High Storrs is now fully compliant and the other two other schools are very near the standards. The Merton schools are just entering the final phase of the trial and Chartwells is confident that they will soon be compliant.

Tony Byrne, Chartwells business director commented on these standards: "We have been supporting the SFT on the journey to achieving compliance with the nutrient based standards. The Chartwells experience to date shows that if you engage with students, parents, head teachers, teachers and governors then the standards can be achieved whilst still providing food that students will eat – we are achieving this through our Eat Learn Live programme.

"However, the standards are just one part of a bigger jigsaw and we also need to address, funding, closed gate policies, dining room size, packed meal policy and the reduced time given for lunch periods, if we are going to improve the health of our children."

Related Articles:

• 09 Jul 2009 - School meals take-up sees marginal increase
• 09 Jul 2009 - School meals take-up sees marginal increase
• 19 May 2009 - School's longest-running member of staff retires after 23 years
• 19 May 2009 - Chartwells' partnership with Oxford Brookes University extended
• 06 Mar 2009 - Education change at Compass

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