Questions from the floor

3rd April 2009, 4:14pm

There was plenty of reaction from delegates when they were given the chance to offer comments and questions on the issues under discussion.

Gerry Clinton, Catering and Traded Services Manager with the London Borough of Havering, said he had listened to Jeanette Orrey, who spoke on behalf of the Soil Association, in favour of implementing the nutrient standards as they are and according to timetable.

"You said caterers need to be innovative, use fresh food and improve the dining environment to help make the new menus acceptable.

"We are already doing all the things you suggest – but I still have serious concerns about the future of our service after September."

Michael Nelson of the School Food Trust, asked how many of the delegates had already introduced nutrient-based standards and three people responded. He then asked how many of those had evaluated the impact on uptake.

Only one of the three people said they had and he reported it had made no difference at all.

"So before we jump ship, let's see what the impact is."

Eileen Steinbock, head of nutrition with Brakes Bros Foodservice, said there was an argument for being pragmatic and giving pupils healthy versions of the kind of food they want.

"They love burgers, for instance. What's wrong with making a healthy burger out of lean meat and putting that on the menu. Surely it's better to have schools providing this option than watching pupils leave the premises and buy one from the takeaway down the road."

Jackie Schneider of Merton Parents Association, addressed her remarks to all school caterers.

"No one is blaming you for the terrible situation we find ourselves in today, but you can do something about it. You can change children's eating habits.

"It's difficult to teach children something in the classroom and then do something different in the dining room. We have to have a consistent message about healthy eating.

"You can call on our help and we will man the barricades if we must to demand head teachers back your efforts."

Nutritionist Dr Verner Wheelock said the figures produced by the School Food Trust in support of the nutrient standards were "errorstrewn".

"They are meaningless and I have written to Ed Balls (Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families) and posed certain questions about them that haven't been answered.

"The nutrient-based standards are a distraction, they are not important because the amount of food children get through school is not significant enough. It doesn't matter how good the food is if most of the food children eat at other times is no good."

Amanda Frost, head of catering services at HC3S, the Hampshire county council catering division, said: "We have got compliant menus for school food. Caterers must stop tinkering around the edges, the food needs to become part of the Change4Life programme.

"School meals need to be in a programme and concentrate on sugar, salt and fat. We are missing a golden opportunity to get on board."

Sara Jane Stanes of the Academy of Culinary Arts said her organisation did a lot of work in schools with children.

"We need food education on the curriculum from five to 11. Then children can make informed choices. Why don't we do it?"

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