A new report indicates that three-quarters of secondary schools in England are not adhering to food standards, frequently serving items such as chips, burgers, and hash browns, and offering sweets and crisps at breakfast. The analysis, conducted by the food charity Bite Back, examined the food provided at almost 400 state secondary schools.
D’Arcy Williams, Bite Back’s chief executive, described the widespread noncompliance with government standards as alarming. The analysis of 391 state secondary school menus revealed that three out of four contained at least one breach, with most involving schools offering unhealthy foods more often than permitted.
Furthermore, 206 schools, representing 53% of those analysed, were found to be offering products high in fat, sugar, or salt, which are meant to be banned entirely as snacks. These items, including crisps, Oreos, and chocolate bars, were available for pupils to buy, even at breakfast and lunchtime. Schools are only permitted to sell nuts, seeds, plain vegetables, and plain fruit as snacks.
The Department for Education acknowledged that some schools do not follow the standards. A spokesperson stated that a strengthened enforcement regime will be introduced, alongside a requirement for every school to publish its food policy and menus online to improve transparency for parents.