The claim was made by Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, following the publication of its report that said the Government was failing to provide primary school children in England and Wales with meals that met its own nutritional standards. The report also found that the Government spends more money on prison food than school lunches, with 35p the average spent per child on a school meal, compared with 60p per prisoner.
Mr Melchett said, 'All too often, children at primary school are fed muck off a truck. The Government acknowledges that there are problems and must bring back quantified nutritional standards for school meals.'
The report called for schools to aim to serve meals using a combination of organic food, locally sourced farm produce and unprocessed ingredients. It was based on the Food For Life pilot project that had been set up at five primary schools by the organic food company Organix, in partnership with the Soil Association.
The number of children eating school meals has increased at the schools taking part in the scheme. One of the schools, St Peter's Church of England Primary School in East Bridgford, Nottingham, reported an 80 per cent take up. The amount spent on ingredients is up to 70p per pupil, but the cost to parents is 1.70 - the average rate for other local schools.
The report and Food for Life action pack, with practical steps to improving school meals, are available on the websites www.foodforlifeuk.organd www.soilassociation.org.
Organix managing director Lizzie Vann added, 'The declining quality of school meals is creating a public health time-bomb. We need large-scale reform to change the way school meals are sourced and served to ensure that we give children the safest, most nutritious and sustainable food possible.'
