Preet Kaur Gill MP urges parents, schools and caterers in Birmingham Edgbaston to have their say on new school food standards

Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston has welcomed the government’s plans to update the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade and urged local people to contribute to the consultation.

The move comes after polling revealed three quarters of parents are concerned by the food their children are eating, as one in three children are leaving primary school overweight or obese.

The proposed standards, which have been developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts, include limiting food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar and putting more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains on every child's plate.

Schools will no longer be able to offer unhealthy ‘grab and go’ options like sausage rolls and pizza every day, and deep fried food will be banned completely. Fruit will also need to be served instead of sugar-laden treats for the majority of the school week.

These changes are supported by food campaigners, charities and nutritional experts including Bite Back, Tom Kerridge, Chefs in Schools, Emma Thompson and Henry Dimbleby.

Preet Kaur Gill is urging parents, schools and caterers in Edgbaston, North Edgbaston, Bartley Green, Quinton and Harborne to reply to the nine-week consultation, which was launched today alongside a new national enforcement mechanism to monitor the new standards and ensure they are applied consistently.

Today’s news also comes as over 500 new Free Breakfast Clubs begin to open their doors this week, including five in Edgbaston – helping save parents up to £450 a year and gaining up to 95 hours precious time back a year.

Preet Kaur Gill MP said:

“As a former Children’s Manager, I have worked with families and know how children having healthy food is vital, as it reduces obesity and sets good health standards for the rest of their lives.

Parents in Birmingham Edgbaston deserve to know that their children are receiving nutritious, delicious food in school – setting them up to learn and thrive.

I’m delighted that the government is listening to parents’ concerns and overhauling school food standards for the first time in a decade and urge my constituents to have their say and respond to the consultation.”

Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said:

“Children are consuming twice the recommended amount of free sugar and offering more nutritious meals at school is a great way of ensuring they eat healthier food.

“We’re determined to reduce the child obesity epidemic and the new School Food Standards represent another piece in a jigsaw of measures designed to help raise the healthiest generation of children ever.”