However, many vending operators seem to be hesitant in approaching the schools sector because of a perceived hassle-factor, and the children are not actually falling over themselves for the new healthy snacks and drinks.

The government's standards for school lunches, which include vended items sold at lunch, were introduced over two years ago, and were followed by food-based standards for other school food (covering the full days vending provision) from September 2007. Further nutrient standards for school lunches were introduced last year primary schools and are expected to hit secondary schools in September this year.

Not surprisingly, there has been much confusion as to which snacks and drinks are now suitable for sale in schools, particularly drinks due to the restrictions under EU law on additives used in combination beverages.

This confusion spread across vending operators, product manufacturers and schools, with confidence in the viability of vending being low. Some product manufacturers promoted their products as compliant with the standards, yet when the Health Education Trust checked some of them, they did not, in fact, comply. Vending operators therefore had difficulty sourcing compliant products and all parties were unsure how to interpret the standards - which also spread doubt within the schools themselves.

With the removal of the ‘fizzy' drinks, crisps, confectionary and chocolate from sale in schools, manufacturers had 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 would also appeal to children.

For 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 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.

Vending has also, of course, been a source of valuable additional revenue for schools over the years, and funded a great deal of equipment, books, etc.

In an effort to support, guide and enthuse schools about the positive potential of vending to provide good quality, nutritious foods that would also supply a good return financially, the School Food Trust commissioned the Health Education Trust to research and write the publication ‘A fresh look at vending'. This booklet has since been distributed to all secondary schools in the country, and can be downloaded from www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/vending

The guide focuses on a whole school approach, where the children are involved and consulted with all aspects of the provision of vending. Appropriate marketing is also recommended with the schools, involving product manufacturers and vending operators, to ensure that children actually consume the new healthy products.

The Health Education Trust's Real Choice initiative had already been launched, in advance 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. ‘Real Choice' was developed 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 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 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.

Successful products can carry the ‘Real Choice' logo on pack, thus providing reassurance that they fulfil the highest requirements for healthy snacking.

Hydration

While all of this was going on, hydration hit the headlines - with endless media comment about how we should all be downing a couple of litres of water a day for a long and healthy life. In the schools arena, good hydration can dramatically improve concentration levels - something that the vending industry had been suggesting for years! As a result, in addition to the appearance of a good number of new healthy fruit drinks for children, the requirement for schools to supply free, fresh drinking water on a daily basis, began to be satisfied with the use of modern pou water coolers.

Last year, in this magazine, Kathryn Styles, a nutritionist with Health Education Trust, reported: "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 Government's 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."

Maybe so, but the signs are that there's more work still to be done.

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