Banned Junk Food Being Sold In Academies

A series of freedom of information requests have revealed that one third of all academy schools are selling junk food that is currently banned in maintained schools under regulations introduced to protect children's health.

Of 108 academies that responded to the requests, 29 were selling chocolate and other confectionery. Nine admitted selling fizzy drinks and seven sold energy drinks such as Red Bull.

Part of an investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches, they found that 37 out of the 108 academies were selling at least one food or drink product that was not permitted before they became academies. Such schools are state-funded but independently run; more than half of secondaries in England are now academy schools, which can opt out of national standards for school meals.

The Department for Education described the Dispatches claims as "shoddy and misleading".

A spokeswoman said: "The last government never expected that local authorities would monitor schools' compliance with standards – so claiming that this government's education reforms have led to a weakening of the way those standards are applied is nonsense. Many academies are already using their freedom from council control to improve food."

(H)