The open letter from the Soil Association states, ‘Learning to eat should be an adventure – joyful and challenging – but our children are being increasingly robbed of the experience. Many are growing up not knowing the tastes, textures and smells of real food.
‘Many will enter adulthood only knowing the simplified and sweet flavours of ultra-processed products, leading to unhealthy choices and poorer health outcomes later in life.
‘Ultra-processed foods now make up roughly two-thirds of the average child’s diet in the UK.’
It goes on to say, ‘We believe that a love of good food should be nurtured in children from the youngest age possible, and schools should play a starring role.
‘Every school should be supported to provide freshly prepared meals, taking a “whole school approach” to food education that includes direct sensory knowledge of real fruit and vegetables.’
The letter is signed by celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Yotam Ottolenghi, charities and organisations - School Food Matters, the Food Foundation, First Steps Nutrition Trust, the Children’s Food Campaign, school head teachers and two cross-party Baronesses.
