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Menu Development Criteria

Since 1 April 2001, the Government agency namely DfE (Department for Education) set national Nutritional Standards for school lunches. The catering contractor and the borough worked in partnership to ensure these standards were met and reflected in the school menus as these compulsory nutritional standards which set out in legislation.

The School Food Trust was set up in 2005 with funding from DfE to promote the education and health of children and young people by improving the quality of food supplied and consumed in schools. The Trust has been given the responsibility of taking forward the new food-based standards in all schools and has further goals over the next three years to achieve its objective.

As from September 2008 Primary school menus had to meet nutrient based standards and in September 2009 Special and Secondary schools also had to comply with nutrient based standards.