NSW public schools fail to pass Healthy Canteen menu check
Almost a quarter of NSW public school tuckshops are still selling too much junk food, failing healthy benchmarks. What do you think – should canteens be allowed to sell whatever they like?
NSW
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More than 400 public school tuckshops in NSW are still selling junk food, flouting a 2019 deadline to meet the government-imposed Healthy School Canteen Strategy.
Education Department figures show that only 1329 of the state’s 1771 canteens passed the canteen menu check by the 2019 deadline.
Health authorities said the 441 canteens that failed to make the grade were now being given “training” to meet benchmarks.
Under the policy, NSW public schools were required to transition to the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy over a three-year period ending in 2019.
The strategy requires 75 per cent of canteen menus to be healthy food and drink options, and imposes portion limits for flavoured milks, juices, and foods with higher fat and sugar content.
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Monash University nutrition expert Associate Professor Simone Gibson said schools dragged their feet because junk food was more profitable than healthy food.
“Junk food makes more money,” she said.
“Soft drinks, chips — they are cheap to produce, and the taste of salt and sugar is really appealing to the human tastebud.
“Some parents don’t have time to prepare their kids’ lunches, so they’re reliant on the canteen and then they’re reliant on their kids making the right choices.”
An Education Department spokesman said three quarters of NSW public schools had changed to healthier menus and they expected more to make the grade this year.
“Health and Education will continue to work with public schools that haven’t met the food and drink criteria, through the provision of training, resources and information,” the spokesman said.
Healthy Kids Association CEO David Pratt said school canteens that switched to healthy food overnight had struggled.
“In the early days, some schools tried to switch over quite quickly … if you’ve only sold junk food and the kids arrive the next day and you’re only selling healthy food, the kids are going to baulk at buying the healthy food,” he said.
He said local health authorities were now helping primary school canteens pass the menu test, and his organisation was working with secondary schools.
“We proactively target schools that have not officially crossed the line to find out what is holding them back.”
Principal of St Kieran’s Catholic Primary School in Manly Vale Michael Gallagher said the school met guidelines because children who ate healthily focused more in class.
“We find children who are eating too much sugary food before school or get it at school tend to stick to that type of food and lose concentration and lack focus,” Mr Gallagher said.
Originally published as NSW public schools fail to pass Healthy Canteen menu check