Food standards in nurseries are to be reviewed by a new panel of experts and nutritionists, to see if food and drink served to children in early years settings could be improved.
This follows new findings, published today by the School Food Trust (SFT), which suggest that more needs to be done to ensure food in early years settings is healthy and nutritious.
Increasing numbers of children now attend childcare before the age of five. Making sure they get healthy, balanced and nutritious food is essential to establishing healthy eating habits early on and giving them the best start in life.
The new Advisory Panel, supported by the SFT, will look at whether current food standards need to be improved.
The Panel has been asked to:
- develop recommendations on improved guidance to support healthy and nutritious food and drink in nurseries
- evaluate the current provision and guidance available on early years food and drink, including consulting widely with practitioners, parents and children
- examine the case for strengthened or mandatory food standards in early years settings, to bring them more in line with current school food standards
- consider the cost of ingredients, equipment and facilities to provide healthy food in nurseries
- examine the types of food being served, including portion size, salt levels and nutritional value
- look at potential training and guidance for early years staff
- provide recommendations on the way forward for Government and local authorities.
The Panel, which is chaired by Dr Anthony Williams, Reader in Child Nutrition and Consultant Paediatrics at St George’s, University of London, met for the first time in February and is made up of professionals from the early years sector, dieticians and children’s charities.
Evidence shows that new standards introduced for school food are having a positive impact on young people’s development and the new Panel will consider what lessons can be applied to early years food standards.
The Panel is due to report on its recommendations in August, in time to feed into the wider review of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which begins in September.
The findings from the Summary Report suggest that whilst there is a range of guidance available to nurseries, there is a need for more comprehensive guidance on food and nutrition for professionals working with young children.
In response, the Government has produced updated guidance, available on the Early Years Foundation Stage website this week for nursery staff. It provides useful advice, tips and good practice on providing healthy and nutritious food to children.
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said:
“Every parent wants to know that their child is getting tasty, healthy and nutritious food. It’s important that parents know that the standards of food are good not just in homes and Sure Start centres but in every setting, and the panel will be able to help us make sure this happens.”
Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo said:
“Parents and nurseries are already doing a fantastic job encouraging children to eat more healthily, but we want to make sure that standards of nursery food are good everywhere. I look forward to hearing the recommendations of the new Advisory Panel on what more can be done give young children the best possible food. In the interim, updated guidance for nursery staff is now available online with advice and support on providing nutritious food.”
