Free fruit in schools

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 1 June 2001

51

Citation

(2001), "Free fruit in schools", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731cab.001

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited


Free fruit in schools

Free fruit in schools

A new government initiative to provide free fruit will entitle infant and nursery school children to a free piece of fruit in an attempt to improve child health and nutrition. Children will receive apples, bananas, pears and satsumas as part of the scheme. The scheme is expected to cost up to £2 million in the first year. The NHS plan is for every four- to six-year old to be entitled to a free piece of fruit each school day by 2004 and is the biggest programme to support child nutrition since the introduction of free school milk in 1946. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey published in June 2000 found that, on average, children eat just two portions of fruit and vegetables a day and one in five children eat no fruit in a week. Children growing up in disadvantaged families are about 50 per cent less likely to eat fruit and vegetables and these inequalities are reflected in health differences later in life when low income groups are more likely to suffer cancer and heart disease. Eating fruit and vegetables can also help to prevent asthma, which now affects one in seven children.

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