A barrage of questions spring to mind – What penalties will you suffer if you are not compliant, and how exactly does Ofsted intend to implement this? If you are a self managed school, will your Local Authority Caterers nutritionally check your menu for you free of charge, or will you have to invest in your own nutritional profiling software system? Will you be unsupported and left to the consequences of the Ofsted inspection? Personally I hope that Ofsted embraces their important new role and rigorously enforces the monitoring of Food and Nutrient Based Standards in Primary Schools. It would be great if every Ofsted Inspector had to complete and pass a mandatory Food and Nutrition Training course to prepare them for this additional responsibility - not only have they got to ensure that Children’s minds are educated, they also need to ensure their hearts are healthy too. I understand that Ofsted were a bit surprised that in addition to current inspection criteria, school catering was to be added to their brief. There is no mandatory training course in Food and Nutrition for Ofsted inspectors. The standards can be measured over 1 to 4 weeks, but what each child actually eats is not monitored or captured in most cases - only in schools with cashless systems can each child’s nutritional intake be measured accurately. But even then there is no guarantee that what has been purchased is consumed by that child. The good intentions of this Government may have inadvertently undermined your catering business, reducing your contribution to supporting the Local Authorities Facilities Management and reducing your long term ability to invest in your catering facilities, kitchens and staff training. The Government have pledged £500 million over 6 years, and formed the School Food Trust to support you, it’s true, but what happens when the money runs out? Or if the Government changes after the next election? THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO DELIVER SUSTAINABLE VIABLE SCHOOL MEALS. apetito is a major manufacturer of great quality food targeting the cost sector. The apetito School Meals range can help you deliver the Food and Nutrient Based Standards in Primary Schools in time for this September. There are 36 meal centres available NOW, with desserts in the pipeline to launch by July. The great thing about the range is that they have been developed for children, tested with children and amended and re-tested by children to ensure they deliver exactly what children like to eat, again and again whilst maintaining their good health. These clean label, delicious products are:- FREE FROM HVO’s Artificial Colourings Artificial Flavourings Artificial Sweeteners Artificial Preservatives. And all meals are low in salt and saturated fats. The apetito range has not been fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, but due to chef prepared recipes and development, fantastic flavour is delivered by herbs and spices at a price that is affordable. To learn more about the apetito school meals range please visit: http://www.apetito.co.uk/6611/all/1/Education.aspx By David Griffiths National Account Manager- Education