Minister extends health eating in NI schools

High fat snacks and salt or sugar and sugary, fizzy drinks will no longer be available for sale in Northern Ireland schools from September 2007, it was announced today.

Making the announcement, Education Minister, Maria Eagle said: “Child obesity is one of the most important health issues today, and schools have a role to play in changing pupils’ attitudes on health and nutrition.

“Much has been achieved already, with the successful implementation of nutritional standards for school meals, but we can, and must, set our sights higher. That is why, today, I am announcing my intention to extend the strategy of improving children’s health, through nutrition, to include all sources of food in schools.”

Ms Eagle said that the drive to increase healthy eating in pupils through school dinners is being diluted through access to less healthy options in tuck shops, vending machines, breakfast clubs and other outlets in schools and it is important, therefore, to extend the strategy to include these sources.

The Minister continued: “Many schools have already introduced healthy eating and drinking policies. It is my intention to build on this success from September 2007 and accelerate the process of removing unhealthy foods from vending machines, and other sources of food on school premises.”

The proposal to extend the new nutritional standards to all sources of food in schools was subjected to full public consultation in 2006. The overwhelming majority of respondents agreed with the proposals. Some respondents were concerned that the proposal could reduce the additional income that tuck shops and vending machines provide for schools. However, evidence suggests that, if properly managed, healthy vending can be equally popular, and successful.

Maria Eagle concluded: “By adopting a positive and proactive approach to the sale of foods to pupils, schools can maintain their income from this source, while making a valuable contribution to the improvement of the health of our children. Guidance will issue shortly to schools on the types of products that will no longer be permitted for sale in schools.”

The New Nutritional Standards are the Department of Education’s contribution to the cross-departmental Investing for Health, and Fit Futures Initiatives. The purpose of these initiatives is to improve the health of children in Northern Ireland through physical fitness and nutrition strategies.

(EF)