Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.56.658.610 on 1 August 1980. Downloaded from

Postgraduate Medical Journal (August 1980) 56, 610-612

School catering: the place for change? SUSAN C. COLLINS* S.R.D., M.H.C.I.M.A. ILEA Education Catering Branch

Summary in 1906, but it was the 1944 Education Act which The 1944 Education Act marked the foundation of marked the foundation of the present School Meals the modern School Catering Service. A statutory Service. This Act imposes on LEAs a statutory duty is imposed on Local Education Authorities duty to provide school dinners for all maintained (LEAs) to provide a 'mid-day dinner... suitable in primary and secondary school pupils who want them. all respects as the main meal of the day'. LEAs are Since the Act was implemented there have been free to provide meals consistent with broad nutritional nutritional principles underlying school meals guidelines ofthe Department ofEducation and Science feeding. but financial pressures have a large bearing on this. The current Provision of Milk and Meals Regu- The traditional 2-course meal is still the norm, lations state: 'On every school day there shall be although there is a multi-choice menu for the majority provided... for every pupil as a mid-day dinner a of secondary schoolchildren. But a wide choice of food meal suitable in all respects as the main meal of is incompatible with closely prescribed nutritional the day' (Statutory Instrument, 1969). standards and pupils need to be aware of the implica- The Regulations do not specify what constitutes tions for their health in the choice of food. The a 'suitable mid-day meal' but in 1975 a Workingby copyright. adoption ofdietary recommendations for prevention of Party Report, 'Nutrition in Schools', was published coronary heart disease would not generate serious by the Department of Education and Science (DES, practical difficulties for the professional caterer. 1975). This provides the current documentation upon The technical problems arising from minor adapta- which the nutritional standards for school meals are tions in catering practice would be minimal in com- based and states: 'The average school meal... parison to those of cost, education and hence modi- should aim to provide at minimum one-third of the fication of consumer demand. The move away from recommended intake of energy, and between half nutritional standards is likely to accelerate if, owing and one-third (say 42%) of the recommended intake to financial constraints, the Government withdraws for protein' (DES, 1975, p. 12). 'A mixed diet of nutritional or removes the on animal and foods should all the guidelines obligation vegetable provide http://pmj.bmj.com/ LEAs to provide a catering service. The danger is that necessary nutrients...' (DES, 1975, p. 13). financial considerations will override those ofnutrition The Report recommends that the minimum and a unique opportunity for health education by amount offat to be provided by a school meal should guidance and example in the schools may be lost. no longer be specified, the implication being that fat should be restricted. The Working Party reported Origins and development of the School Meals Service that the possible relationship between consumption The Lancet precipitated an outcry in Parliament of saturated fat and the incidence of heart disease: in 1870 when it carried an article which argued: '. .. is widely discussed but has not been established. on October 1, 2021 by guest. Protected 'The Education system is not overworking children In view of the present uncertainty we do not feel but demonstrating that they are underfed.' (Evans, able to suggest that the use of animal fats should be 1974). This did not produce any legislation but it reduced on health grounds' (DES, 1975, p. 14). did excite various voluntary bodies into providing Sugar consumption is mentioned only in relation schoolchildren with something to eat. A typical to the effect on dental health: '... for many years week's menu was: Monday, jam pudding; Tuesday, sugar has been used sparingly in the preparation of thick meat soup; Wednesday, rhubarb pudding; the school dinner and the present recommended Thursday, roly-poly meat pudding; Friday, raisin quantity of half an ounce per meal is probably no pudding; each portion to be 0-5-0-75 lb (0-225-0-34 more than is necessary to make the meal appetizing. kg). We consider that this quantity should not on average The last 100 years have certainly witnessed change. be exceeded' (DES, 1975, p. 18). The first legislation relating to School Meals came There are no recommendations pertaining to the *The views expressed are the personal ones of the author, fibre or salt content of school meals. and not those of her organization. LEAs are free to plan meals within the limits of 0032-5473/80/0800-0610 $02.00 © 1980 The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.56.658.610 on 1 August 1980. Downloaded from

School catering 611 the DES regulations. Reconciliation of nutritional before in the life of the School Meals Service. In standards with financial constraints requires skill those LEAs which decide to continue to provide and ingenuity on the part of the caterer. Although schoolchildren with a catering service, fundamental the charge for a school meal is 30p, the food allow- decisions will have to be taken. ance is, on average, 18p a head.* The result has been one of variety in the types of meal provided in Possibilities for the future different parts of the country. It is common for If the DES is to relinquish its responsibilities menus to be planned by individual Heads of towards school catering, LEAs will become depend- Kitchen in accordance with LEA policy. In a few ent entirely on local expertise and experience. There Authorities, menu planning and provisioning are is a well established, managerial staff of professional centralized and computerized, despite the associated caterers, the School Meals Organizers, who advise problems of inflexibility. Authorities and control the Heads of Kitchen. The It is generally accepted that choice meals are availability and quality of such expertise and experi- inappropriate for the very young. Most infant and ence varies, and consequently the emphasis attached nursery schools, therefore, are given 2-course set to the nutritional content of the fare provided. There menus. Junior schoolchildren are normally offered will be more opportunity than ever for health a limited choice of 2 main dishes and a salad meal, professionals, particularly District and Community 2 vegetables, potato or alternative, and 2 desserts. Dietitians, to offer sound, practical advice to their Multi-choice menus are offered in the majority of catering colleagues. This may not be easy, as indic- secondary schools and it is becoming increasingly ated by an opinion column in a recent edition of a common to find salad bars, snack items, and cash cateringjournal: 'Arguments over the need to ensure cafeteria systems. The aim is to provide the widest the correct content of the diet are falling on ears range consistent with financial limitations and good more attuned to the ringing of cash registers, as nutritional practice in the hope that children will Councils face bigger deficits brought about by school make sensible choices. meals subsidies. Besides, the validity of dietary by copyright. A free choice, albeit from a selection of controlled arguments is difficult to gauge when nutritionists items, is incompatible with the imposition of closely seem unable to agree among themselves on what is prescribed nutritional standards. This begs the good or bad for us' (Editorial, 1979). question-has the concept of nutritional standards This reinforces the author's concern about finan- for school means become out-dated? It is argued cial considerations dominating school catering-the that it has not, since to remove nutritional standards 'commercial approach'. Any successful catering would lead to financial considerations becoming operation must be financially viable but cost- overriding. This could be at the expense of any effectiveness and sound nutritional practice do not nutritional conscience in the feeding of 5 million have to be mutually exclusive. If, to some LEAs schoolchildren. Nutritional should not to then in the current climate parameters they appear conflict, http://pmj.bmj.com/ be ignored-at the very least there ought to be a financial considerations may outweigh those of moral constraint. nutrition. Some Authorities may merely hand over to contract caterers. Proposals for new legislation and potential influence Regrettably some nutritionally favoured com- on school catering modities are incompatible with prices the consumer The Government's recent financially based pro- is prepared to pay. Wholemeal breads and pastas posals for new legislation on school catering may are more expensive than white. Polyunsaturated abolish the statutory requirement for LEAs to margarines and cooking oils are more expensive on October 1, 2021 by guest. Protected provide a mid-day meal. Some Authorities may than saturated equivalents. Lean meats are more recognize the need for a School Catering Service- expensive than constituted products such as sausages and be prepared to pay for it. Others may not. and luncheon meat. Fresh fruit is, for much of the In order to give more freedom to those Authorities year, more expensive than the ingredients for which choose to maintain a catering service, the traditional puddings. This situation is a reflection new legislation may withdraw recommendations of lack of nutritional awareness leading to low which, since 1944, have laid down the nutritional demand, and hence relatively high prices. Consumer content of the meal. Ironically, it has always been demand has a controlling effect on the menus the nutritional standard, based on sound physio- compiled by the caterer. Children will choose food logical principles, which has protected the school they enjoy rather than food best for their health and meal in times of previous financial stringency. the concept of enjoyment is immediate, whereas the The climate of change with its consequent concept of good health is abstract and long term. problems and opportunities is greater than ever There is a need to reconcile advice from the medical * November 1979 profession on healthy eating and the caterer's Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.56.658.610 on 1 August 1980. Downloaded from

612 S. C. Collins task of providing dishes attractive to the customer To refer to the catering article quoted above: and at a competitive price. Otherwise children will '... the validity of dietary arguments is difficult to fill themselves at the school tuck-shop or patronize gauge when nutritionists seem unable to agree the local 'chippy'. If the School Catering Service among themselves on what is good or bad for us'. was still providing standard no-choice meals, the emphasis on education for healthy eating could be directed to the professional caterer. Now that there Practical implications for the adoption of recom- is certain to be even more degeneration from set or mendations for dietary prevention of coronary heart limited-choice menus having some basis of nutri- disease tional control, to a much freer choice system, a As long as the caterer is advised clearly there parallel target for nutrition education must be the should be no significant problems in providing consumer. Where better to introduce education palatable food consistent with preventive recom- about food but in school? The methodology is mendations. Any consequent change in long estab- not within the scope of this paper but merely lished catering practice will bring with it a require- imparting knowledge is not sufficient. To be effective ment for appropriate training, and that will take the result has to be behaviour modification. Ulti- time and cost money. But in adopting dietary mately, the criteria which determine what the school recommendations, in the author's opinion, the caterer provides is what the pupil is prepared to eat difficulty is not one of manipulating raw foodstuffs and pay for. Otherwise the caterer will go out of in the kitchen. The technical problems of catering business. would be minor in comparison with the other This does not mean that school caterers should problems discussed-those of cost and availability, neglect nutritional aspects of catering. Children and those of education (of the caterer and the usually take only one meal a day at school, for consumer) and hence modification of consumer about 200 days a year, but for many children this demand. represents the main meal of the day and the only Major problems such as these are overshadowedby copyright. meal based on sound nutritional principles. For by the current threat to the School Catering Service. such children, the school meal provides a signi- Within the present structure, the largest catering ficant proportion of nutrient intake, perhaps the concern in the country, there is the facility for health only intake of certain essential nutrients. The school education and central nutritional control. This is caterer is in a strong position to exert considerable not to suggest that school catering could solve all influence on the eating habits of children by setting nutritional problems. But if it is accepted that long- good examples-both in menu compilation and in the term improvement of nutritional status lies with standard of cooking and service. children, the Government should reconsider their There are challenging opportunities for colla- proposals. If the statutory duty on LEAs to provide boration between those for school the present level of service is removed, and if DES responsible http://pmj.bmj.com/ catering and educationists. Measures combining guidelines are no longer applied to whatever service learning activities and good food provision, including remains, then a major channel for effecting the the introduction of new organoleptic experiences, proposals of this Conference, as far as children are can be instrumental in the development of healthy concerned, will have been swept away. eating habits-not only during school years but for a lifetime. If the school sees its role as education for as well as education for working, then an References living, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (1975) Nutrition the food it makes on October 1, 2021 by guest. Protected assessment of its attitude towards in Schools. H.M. Stationery Office, London. available is warranted. EDITORIAL (1979) Opinion column. Caterer and Hotel But if we expect caterers to demonstrate good Keeper, 170, 3. nutritional principles, then those concerned with EVANS, J. (1974) Catering in Schools and Colleges, p. 16, them concise Barrie and Jenkins, London. nutrition must be prepared to give STATUTORY INSTRUMENT (1969) No. 483: The Provision of advice on fundamental issues, and eliminate con- Milk and Meals Regulations. Education, England and tentious details which lead only to confusion. Wales, p. 2. H.M. Stationery Office, London.