Warning as just 52p spent on each pupil’s dinner

Apr 4 2008 by Abbie Wightwick, Western Mail

JUST 52p a day is spent on the food served to each pupil at primary schools in some parts of Wales, we can reveal today.

Although spending on raw ingredients has increased across Wales in the last two years, some local education authorities are still spending the same average amount of 52p that was budgeted for in 2005-06.

The sum has been criticised as inadequate by the National Obesity Forum (NOF), nutritionists and chefs. They said caterers would struggle to provide a balanced diet on such tight budgets.

Local education authorities said they had made menus healthier. But they are hampered by the falling numbers taking school meals and rising prices, food experts warned.

Across Wales primary school lunches cost parents between £1.75 and £1.55 – many councils subsidise meals by as much as £1.

After labour and other costs are paid the amount left to spend on raw ingredients ranges from 52p in Torfaen to 72p in Ceredigion. In 2005-06 Torfaen spent 48p and Ceredigion 64p.

Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said schools in France spent between two and three times as much. Parents and councils must be willing to spend more on children’s nutrition or risk the consequences of poor health, he warned.

“I cannot see how it is easy to provide a healthy, balanced diet on that allowance,” he said.

“Good food is one of the most important things.

“It seems crazy that children are going round with mobile phones and electronic gadgets, which are not cheap, when their nutrition is neglected.”

Jane Frank, a nutritionist based in Mid Wales, said, “It’s very difficult to provide a healthy meal for that price.

“It’s shocking we are prepared to invest so little on nourishing our children. To receive a good education you need to eat properly. There are not many foods that cost that little. What can you buy for 52p? There are cheap, nutritious foods like lentils and beans but no one knows how to cook them any more.”

Chef Angela Gray said school meal services would have to buy the cheapest cuts of meat on such a tight budget.

“I don’t think it’s enough money,” Ms Gray, a course director at Llanerch Vineyard Food School in the Vale of Glamorgan, said.

She helps bring healthy food to schools as part of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Grow It, Cook It, Eat It, programme. The annual programme includes cookery demonstrations and planting in schools.

Newport City Council said it served more than 1.5 million school meals this financial year – 893,832 primary, 644,514 secondary and 13,981 special school meals.

“The projected spend for food costs is £986,922 which equates to £5,306 per day,” the council said in a statement.

“The average food cost for a school meal is 63p, which relates to 51p for primary pupils.

“The labour costs for school meals catering overall are projected at £1,997,717 for the 2007-08 financial year. This includes management costs. This equates to £1.29 per meal.

“Other costs, which include premises, transport and supplies, will total £860,292 ( this includes other direct costs £105,848). This equates to 55p per meal.

“The overall cost to the council is £3,872,710 which is £2.49 per school meal – meals are subsidised.’’

The council agreed not to increase the price of meals from September last year, but the figures show just how much the service costs.

Newport has cut salt and fat and increased fruit and vegetables even serving chocolate brownies that contain beetroot and carrot.

Torfaen County Borough Council said it had improved menus “within the costs that are available”.

“We have a wealth of fruit tuck shops and breakfast clubs across the authority with a majority of our primary schools taking part,” a spokesman said.

The Vale of Glamorgan County Council said its food is baked not fried, apart from chips served once a week. but the NOF wants chips taken off menus altogether.

Gwynedd has a “principle” of giving every school a kitchen and cooking most meals from raw ingredients.

Ceredigion uses “prime cooked food” and Powys has “moved towards a home produced” meal service using fresh ingredients.

But take up for meals in some authorities is as low as 50% after scares and concerns about the safety and healthiness of school meals.

This makes it harder for caterers to make economies of scale.

The NOF warned Wales also lags behind England, which has already banned junk food and told schools not to serve fried food more than twice a week.

Similar moves in Wales will be trialled in four council areas later this year.