Smoothies and fruit juice off school menus in bid to tackle obesity

FRUIT juice and smoothies are to be banned from school lunch menus in a drive to tackle childhood obesity.

Sugary cereals will also be taken off the menu at breakfast clubs under the healthy eating measures.

The Scottish Government will today launch a consultation on making school food healthier.

The initiative will also mean a reduction in the availability of cakes and other bakery products in dinner halls.

Ministers are cutting the amount of sugary foods on menus following advice from nutritional experts, including specialists from NHS Health Scotland, Education Scotland and Food Standards Scotland.

Sweet cereals such as Coco Pops and sugar-coated puffed wheat will be replaced with those with less sugar such as corn flakes and Weetabix.

Strict rules already apply to the nutritional content of meals, drinks and snacks served in schools but the Scottish Government said it wants to do more.

Almost 30 per cent of Scottish children and two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: ‘More than 360,000 meals are dished up in schools every day, setting children and young people up for their lessons.

‘While our internationally acclaimed nutritional standards are already very high, we want to go further to promote healthy, high-quality food and drink and help tackle childhood obesity.

‘The proposals we are putting forward are based on the latest scientific and expert advice, as well as the views of local authorities, schools and catering staff.

‘I urge everyone with an interest in school food to have their say.’

The proposals include increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables on menus, with a minimum of two portions of vegetables and one portion of fruit to be offered as part of a school lunch.

There will also be limits on the amount of sugar offered in breakfast cereal and yoghurts.

Fruit juice and smoothies, which can be high in sugar, will be banned in all schools, and there will be limits on how often sweet- ened and baked goods such as cakes, scones and muffins are available in primary schools.

Guidance on red meat will specify how much of a child’s weekly intake should be quality produce and place limits on processed meat.

Last year, a report by Obesity Action Scotland found school dinners varied ‘dramatically’, with many primary schools serving more puddings than soup.

The high sugar content of the average pudding, more than 14g per 100g (0.49oz per 3.5oz), made it almost impossible for younger children to keep within their recommended sugar limit. For sixyear-olds this is 19g (0.67oz) a day while a ten-year-old should consume no more than 24g (0.84oz).

Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: ‘Labour welcomes these proposals but these regulations will not make as positive an impact as they could thanks to £1.5billion of SNP cuts to councils which run breakfast clubs.

‘Not every family has access to these clubs and ministers should be considering that.’

School meals are free for children from primary one to primary three and more than 80 per cent take up the initiative.

‘Promote healthy, quality food’