DfE starts School Food Standards consultation

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a consultation titled ‘Improving School Food Standards in England’. The new standards aim to build on the government's extension of Free School Meals to every child from a household in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, which will reach over half a million more children.

The reforms represent the biggest expansion of school food provision in a generation. The DfE’s proposals include increasing fibre, reducing sugar and restricting foods high in fat, sugar and salt; removing the reduced set of standards for maintained nurseries and nursery units within primary schools, where the early years foundation stage nutrition guidance applies; and promoting healthy, nutritious and appealing food.

---

---

‘Consuming too much sugar’
Dominic Gilchrist, head of behaviour, exclusions and school food, vulnerable children and educational engagement, said: “The current standards, set more than a decade ago, no longer reflect the latest nutritional guidance or the preferences of children today. Too many children are consuming too much sugar and too little fibre, and health inequalities remain stubbornly wide.

“While we know many schools are already serving healthy school dinners, these new standards level the playing field so that every child – no matter where they live – gets good-quality food at school.

“We want to hear from those who know school food best: children and young people, parents and carers, schools and governors, caterers, health professionals and the wider food sector. Your insight will help ensure the new standards are workable, inclusive and sustainable, and that they make a real difference in classrooms and communities across England.”

The consultation will run until 12^th June. You can read the proposals and submit your views at School Food Standards: updating the legislative framework - gov.uk.

You may also be interested in…