Press Release

THE REPORT OF THE SCHOOL FOOD TRUST

28 March 2008

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said:

“Obviously junk food leads to obesity, but children’s hearts and minds have to be won in the battle for their health. It is schools which must make judgements on the organisation of their school lunchtimes.

“Closing the school gates at lunchtime could simply mean that youngsters will flock to junk food outlets at the end of the school day.

“I welcome the School Food Trust’s intentions, but we need to concentrate on providing healthy and attractive food at school lunchtimes and to giving space in the curriculum to learning about healthy eating and cooking. That way, youngsters will learn themselves to discriminate between good and bad food.”*