Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to The National Food Strategy: The Plan, Appendices 3 and 14, published in July 2021, whether her Department has taken steps to implement the Eat and Learn initiative for schools in that Plan; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the requirement to serve meat three times a week from the mandatory School Food Standards in the context of developing a sustainability and health-driven national reference diet.

The Department believes it is vital that pupils are taught about food and nutrition. Making healthy choices is relevant at all Key Stages, which is why these principles are taught and applied throughout school. Early Years practitioners encourage children to learn the importance of healthy eating using both narrative and visual resources. Pupils are then taught to understand healthy eating and lifestyle, including cooking, through science, design and technology and health education curricula at both primary and secondary level. Since autumn 2022, pupils have had the opportunity to be taught about food through the Climate Leaders’ Award.

Older pupils can understand the employment opportunities and the pathways leading to careers in the food sector. Ten high quality apprenticeships are available across a range of catering and hospitality professions and a T Level in Catering will teach the core knowledge and skills needed to enter such occupations, from September 2023.

Regarding the School Food Standards, the Department believes the standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food that builds healthy eating habits for life. The standards are being kept under review.