Soil Association

Citation

(2007), "Soil Association", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2007.01737cab.023

Soil Association

Soil Association

The UK's Soil Association has questioned a BBC News survey that claims that moves to improve the quality of meals in England has resulted in fewer pupils taking them.

It argues that the introduction of fresh healthy food has actually helped to reverse the downward trend in school dinner uptake.

The Soil Association argues that schools following the Soil Association's Food for Life programme have bucked the national trend on uptake.

In Essex, the Soil Association said that 25 schools working to serve up wholesome, local and organic school meals have seen an average increase in uptake of school meals of 38 per cent in just one month. In Bradford, the amount spent on school meal ingredients per child has risen by 14p since May 2005 to 60p.

The Soil Association's Food for Life programme aims to provide food that meets the nutrition targets set by the Caroline Walker Trust and the School Meals Review Panel. It states that 75 per cent of all foods consumed should be made from unprocessed ingredients, and that at least 50 per cent by weight of meal ingredients should be sourced from the local region (50 mile radius or the proximity principle applies).