School Food Standards:

1
School Food Standards Implications for Special
Needs Clare Harper March 19th 2008
2
Topics to be covered

• Overview of the SFT reform timetable
• The standards
• Special needs, applying the standards
• Roles responsibilities
• The dining experience
• FAQs
• Good practice
• Workshop

3
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 published 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
4
2007 Regulations What do they cover

• Revised interim food-based standards for lunch
  have applied since September 2007
• Food-based standards for food other than lunch
  have applied since September 2007
• Nutrient-based and final food-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

5
Rationale for final food-based nutrient-based
standards for school lunches

• Food-based
• Direct health benefits
• Changing behaviour
• To support achievement of nutrient based
  standards
• To improve the quality of the food

• Nutrient-based
• Protect nutritionally vulnerable groups
• Increase micronutrient density of average school
  lunch
• Decrease total fat, saturated fat, non-milk
  extrinsic sugars and sodium

6
Final food-based standards for school lunches

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

• Less or none of these
• Banned
• Confectionery
• Restricted
• Salt and condiments
• Snacks
• Deep fried food
• Starchy food cooked
• in oil or fat
• Meat products

7
Nutrients included in the Nutrient-based
standards for school lunches

• Minimum levels are set for
• Carbohydrate
• Protein
• Fibre
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Calcium
• Iron
• Zinc

• Maximum levels are set for
• Sodium
• NME Sugars
• Fat
• Saturated fat

Too much of these nutrients in the diet can be
harmful
Too little of these nutrients in the diet can be
harmful
8
Who do the standards apply to?

• All LA maintained primary, secondary, special and
  boarding school and pupil referral units (PRUs)
• Sixth forms on the premises of secondary schools
• All food and drink provided by LAs or school
  governing bodies to pupils on or off school
  premises (up to 6pm, including school trips)

9
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
• Provision mix

10
Special needs schools

• North West (16)
• North East (6)
• Yorkshire Humberside (7)
• West Midlands (11)
• East Midlands (8)
• East Anglia (8)
• London (12)
• South West (8)
• South East (19)

11
Diverse diets special dietary needs

• Why diverse diets?
• many schools have a diverse population from
  different ethnic and religious groups
• What is a special diet?
• A diet that cannot be selected freely from the
  main school lunch choices available. This may be
  due to an allergy, intolerance or other medical
  need.

12
Dietary requirements

• Diets for children with additional support needs
• Autistic spectrum disorder
• Selective eaters
• Those with communication difficulties
• Texture modification

• Diabetes
• Food intolerances
• Coeliac disease
• Milk free diets
• Egg intolerance
• Eating disorders

13
Roles responsibilities

• Pupils
• Parents / Guardians
• Headteacher
• Class Teacher
• Food Technology Staff
• Catering Provider
• School Cook
• Dietician / Medical Professional

14
Additional considerations

• Collecting information
• Where should this information be kept?
• In the classroom
• In the kitchen
• At other school food outlets, e.g., tuck shops
• On school trips
• Menu planning

15
The dining experience

• June 2007 SFT published A fresh look at the meal
  experience
• Dining together is a social
• experience, promoting a
• sense of belonging
• inclusion

Available on SFT website www.schoolfoodtrust.org.u
k
16
FAQs

• Concerns about not being able to serve cakes
  after dinner (if dinner is before 6 pm) at
  residential schools
• Fruit based desserts can be served before 6 pm
  (50 fruit, measure by weight of raw
  ingredients)For autistic children who won't eat
  (or will only eat) certain foods
• We would encourage the school to gradually
  encourage the children towards the healthier
  option
• For children with medically prescribed diets
  (e.g. cystic fibrosis)
• We would expect that parents/doctors provide the
  food and so the standardsdo not apply.
• Why are you allowing nuts when children might
  be allergic?
• This is a matter for local decision making. We
  consider that headteachers and school governors
  are best placed to make decisions that take into
  account local circumstances
• Phone [phone]e-mail info_at_sft.gsi.gov.uk

17
Support for implementation of nutrient-based
standards
18
Good practice

• Vittoria Primary School in Islington celebrates
  its love of food by producing its own special
  cook book.
• The Elms Special School in Knowsley caters for
  the needs of children with severe and profound
  complex needs and autism succeeded in
  implementing a whole school approach to healthy
  eating

19
Moving forward with special needs

• What are the main challenges you face with regard
  to meeting the standards and special needs?
• What solutions or suggestions do you have that
  may overcome these?
• How could SFT to help you overcome these
  challenges and how best could we deliver this
  assistance?

THANK YOU ?