Confusion...

Over the past three years, there has been much confusion as to which snacks and drinks would be suitable for sale in schools, particularly drinks due to the restrictions under EU law on additives used in combination drinks.

Regulations have now been finalised, but do not represent the initial intentions of the School Meals Review Panel (SMRP) in 2005, which was set up to transform school food, and recommended that drinks should be pure and offer positive nutritional benefits. Therefore the School Food Trust (SFT) is currently finalising, following wide consultation, a voluntary Code of Practice for drinks in schools, to meet the objectives of the SMRP.

This confusion has spread across vending operators, product manufacturers and schools, with confidence in the viability of vending being very low. Some product manufacturers have been promoting their products as compliant with the standards, yet when HET has checked some of these products, they in fact do not comply. Operators have had difficulties sourcing compliant products and all parties have been unsure how to interpret the standards, which has also spread doubt within schools.

With the removal of the ‘fizzy' drinks, crisps, confectionary and chocolate from sale in schools, manufacturers need to work with the legislation for food and drinks in schools to create compliant products, and to further create new and innovative nutritious products that will also appeal to children. Vending is a valuable tool in schools, by offering nutritional foods and drinks as an extension to the catering service. Indeed, it's an opportunity currently being overlooked by schools as they strive to increase school meals uptake, a consequence of which is often long queues at break and lunch times.

A fresh look at vending

In order to support, guide and enthuse schools to look at the positive potential of vending to provide good quality, nutritious foods that would also supply a good return to the school, SFT commissioned the Health Education Trust to research and write the recent publication - "A fresh look at vending". This booklet has been distributed to all secondary schools in the country, and can be downloaded from www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/vending

The key to success is reiterated throughout this guide, which focuses on a whole school approach where children are involved and consulted with all aspects of the provision of vending in school. Appropriate marketing is also required from schools, manufacturers and vending operators to ensure that children will actually consume the products.

The Real Choice

The Health Education Trust's Real Choice initiative was created in April 2005, ahead of the government's food standards, to help cut through the confused messages surrounding what is and what is not healthy or suitable for school vending and snacking. HET developed Real Choice as a ‘gold standard' for healthy school vending to support companies and schools to ensure that all products were contributing positively to a child's diet. The Real Choice scheme now provides opportunity for manufacturers to ensure that their products fully comply with the legislation for food in schools, in addition to meeting all Real Choice criteria.

Eligibility to the scheme requires a thorough product evaluation by a qualified HET nutritionist based on the Real Choice criteria, to determine the extent to which a product can make a beneficial contribution to a child's nutritional intake.

Products registered with Real Choice will be able to carry the Real Choice logo on pack, thus providing reassurance that the product is a better choice for kids, fulfilling the highest requirements for healthy snacking.

The Real Choice scheme is self-funding, with registration and analysis fees used to manage the scheme, rather than for profit,

What about water?

Hydration is incredibly important. There is a requirement for schools to supply free, fresh drinking water on a daily basis to children, which can be achieved by the provision of water coolers.

HET has produced, with support from Water UK, the European Point of Use Drinking Water Association, ERIC and National Governors Association, a point of use water cooler guidance document www.healthedtrust.com/ indicates/gdhelthinit.htm. This toolkit aims to guide schools towards best practice in providing and managing Point of Use water cooler supplies within the context of a whole-school water policy.

While the guidance is aimed specifically at schools there is no doubt that it can be usefully adapted and applied to other public institutions such as leisure services, hospitals and prisons.

The Health Education Trust

The Health Education Trust (HET) is the UK independent registered charity, formed to promote the development of health education for young people. HET pioneered the whole school approach and has led the way on promoting healthier approaches to school vending. There is no doubt that considerable progress has been made over the last few years in terms of attitudes and expectations for vending services, particularly in schools and leisure centres. There is no doubt too that more can be done.

The opportunities now available for an innovative range of drinks and snack products to be made conveniently available via vending are coming to light as a consequence of the Governments strict stance on banning in schools at least the traditional vending machine residents, confectionery and soft drinks. We are already seeing a new era of drink and snack products coming onto the market - innovation and a concern for children's health can go hand in hand if there's a will to do so. We look forward to seeing the snacking habits of our children evolve to include a broader range of healthier options, made possible by being conveniently packaged and situated right where they need them most- during the day at school.

http://www.healthedtrust.com/

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