School Food Ambassadors South East

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School Food Ambassadors South East 14 February
2008 Nutrient Standards Workshop
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A challenging reform timetable
?
School food transformed Obesity reducing Food
cultures changing
Nutrient standards for secondary schools
introduced
Sept 2009
Nutrient standards for primary schools
introduced
Sept 2008
School Food Trust to publish A guide to the
Governments Nutrient-based Standards for
school lunches
Nov 2007
Standards for food other than lunch introduced
Sep 2007
SFT publish A guide to introducing the
Governments new food-based standards for all
school food other than lunches
School Food Trust publish A revised guide to the
Governments new food-based standards for school
lunches
May 2007
School food standards introduced
Sept 2006
School Food Trust published A guide to the
Governments new food-based Standards for school
lunches
June 2006
Govt publishes school food standards
May 2006
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2007 Regulations What do they cover

• Revised interim food-based standards for lunch
  apply from September 2007
• Food-based standards for food other than lunch
  apply from September 2007
• Food and nutrient-based standards for
• Primary schools (September 2008)
• Secondary schools (September 2009)
• Special schools (primary and secondary September
  2009)
• NB can implement nutrient-based standards earlier

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http//www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/Libra
ry/Documents/sft_nutrition_guide.pdf
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Final food-based standards for school lunches

• Restricted or no longer allowed
• Banned Confectionery
• Restricted
• Salt and condiments
• Snacks
• Deep fried food
• Starchy food cooked
• in oil or fat
• Meat products

• More of these
• Fruit and vegetables
• Oily fish
• Bread
• Drinking water
• Healthier drinks

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Interim-food based standardsthat are no longer
needed

• ? Protein source
• ? Red meat
• ? Fish
• ? Starchy food
• ? Alternative plain starchy food available
• ? Milk or dairy food
• ? Fruit-based dessert (primary schools only)

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Nutrient-based standards
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Nutrient-based standards Macronutrients

• Requirements for energy and macronutrients
  related to energy
• takes into account age of pupils
• Edubase for England (2006) data shows
• Primary 40 4-6 yrs, 60 7-10 yrs
• Secondary 70 11-14 yrs, 30 14-18 yrs
• avoids levels of provision that exceed average
  energy requirements or potentially lead to food
  wastage

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Nutrient-based standards Micronutrients

• Standard is the minimum requirement
• Based on greatest nutritional need and applied
  across the whole school population
• Primary based on nutritional requirements of
  older age group 7-10 years
• Secondary based on nutritional requirements of
  sex and age group with the greatest need
• Vitamin A and zinc boys 15-18 years
• Calcium boys 11-18 years
• Iron girls 11-18 years
• Folate and vit C boys and girls 15-18 yrs

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Nutrient-based standards
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How to calculate an average school lunch

• The regulations state
• The average school lunch must be calculated by
  totalling the amounts of energy and nutrients
  provided by all school lunches in a menu cycle,
  and then dividing that total by the estimated
  number of school lunches served to individual
  pupils during that menu cycle

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Application of nutrient-based standards

• Computed over 5-20 consecutive school days
• Includes all food and drink at lunchtime except
  extra bread
• Includes the energy and nutrient content of all
  food and drink provided
• Standardised recipes portion sizes
• Product specifications

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Application of nutrient-based standards

• Does not apply to individual meal / child
• Only energy has an allowed tolerance
• Can be computed for a group of schools with
  similar
• Demographic profile
• Menus
• Sales mix estimated number of portions of each
  menu item provided (not sold)

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Defining a school lunch

• Primary schools
• Most food sold as whole meals
• main dish, vegetable, dessert and drink
• Applies even where service is cold food only or
  uses regeneration facilities

Number of lunches sold The reported number of
meals served (paid plus free)
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Defining a school lunch

• Secondary schools
• Lunch sales more complex
• More choices
• Variety of outlets
• Variety of serving times
• Type of food or combination of foods often not
  recorded in detail
• Meal equivalents not available
• Solution 2 pieces of information caterers can
  provide
• Till receipt
• Price of FSM

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Defining a school lunch

• Secondary schools
• Number of lunches sold

Total income from lunchtime sales FSM equivalent
price
total FSM provided
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How do we know what has been served?

• Tools for schools
• School food checklist
• lunch
• non-lunch
• Audit tool (with Healthy Schools)
• Healthy eating criteria
• Nutrient-based analysis

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Assessing the nutrient content of lunch

• Nutrient-based analysis developments
• Nutrient analysis software review
• Nutrient database
• User-friendly output
• Reasonable costs
• Conference calls and North/South workshops
• Recipe calculation
• Meeting the nutrient-based standards
• Provision versus consumption
• School food pilots compliant menus
• Primary schools Nutrient-based Guidance
• Secondary schools April 2008
• Standardised recipe calculation - shortly
• Iron-rich recipes March 2008
• Supporting opted-out schools Spring 2008

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Nutrient analysis software compared
Menu Planning Nutrient Analysis Software for
School Meals

• CRISp
• The Nutmeg Menu Planner
• Saffron Nutrition Module
• Dietsure4schools
• hport
• Relish powered by NutriplanIT

Full reports Phase I http//www.schoolfoodtrust.
org.uk/UploadDocs/Contents/Documents/phase_1_indep
endent_review_menu_planning_nutrient_analysis_soft
ware.pdf Phase II http//www.schoolfoodtrust.org.
uk/UploadDocs/Contents/Documents/phase_2_independe
nt_review_menu_planning_nutrient_analysis_software
.pdf Summary properties http//www.schoolfoodtru
st.org.uk/UploadDocs/Contents/Documents/phase12fe
ature_comparison_combined.pdf Summary
costs http//www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDoc
s/Contents/Documents/phase_12price_comparison_com
bined.pdf
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Evidence Graphical output from software
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School pilots

• Background school, food provision, catering
  provider
• Process whole school approach
• Before, during and after
• food-based and nutrient-based analysis of all
  lunchtime food provision
• Menus recipes, yields, portion sizes
• sales mix
• costings (if possible)
• challenges and barriers
• Nutrient analysis in table and graph format

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School pilots

• Publication
• Case study
• Compliant 3-week menu cycles
• Associated modified recipes and/or dishes
• Nutrient-analysis before and after
• Food-based standard checklist
• FAQs

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Accessing nutrient analysis software

• Menu analysis using existing software
• Local Authority
• Own catering services
• Analytical support for opted-out schools
• Commercial service for other LAs or schools
  outside of LA
• Private caterer
• Independent consultant
• Options for opted-out schools (school in-house
  catering provision)

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Support package for opted-out schools

• Models for opted-out school
• menu planning and nutrient-analysis software
  companies
• existing advisory services through schools or LAs
• freelance Dietitians/Nutritionists
• existing consortia with existing nutrient
  calculation provision
• Support and facilitation
• On-going service
• Menu development
• Sustainable costs

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School lunch grant 2008-2011

• Ring fenced
• Additional to current levels of expenditure on
  providing school meals
• Not to replace funding already provided by the LA
  or school

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School lunch grant 2008-2011

• Supports direct costs of a school meal
• May include
• Ingredient costs
• Increased costs of additional hours to prepare
  fresh food
• Increased rates of pay for employees with higher
  skills levels
• Small pieces of extra equipment needed to provide
  a hot meal
• Software services for nutrient analysis of menus

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School lunch grant 2008-2011

• Not for
• opening of new kitchens
• refurbishment of existing kitchens
• staff training
• promotion of school meals

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Discussion topics

• What roles can School Food Ambassadors take to
  support the development of catering provision
  that meets the nutrient-based standards?
• How can School Food Ambassadors help opted-out
  schools get support to monitor nutrient-based
  standards?

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Discussion topics

• What activities could you undertake to support
  the implementation and embedding of the
  nutrient-based standards using the whole school
  approach?