Local Authority Caterers Association National Conference, 12-14 July, Hilton Birmingham

Citation

(2006), "Local Authority Caterers Association National Conference, 12-14 July, Hilton Birmingham", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 36 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2006.01736fac.001

Local Authority Caterers Association National Conference, 12-14 July, Hilton Birmingham

Local Authority Caterers Association National Conference, 12-14 July, Hilton Birmingham

In total, 396 delegates attended this year's LACA conference.

There was also an exhibition of a number of commercial stands plus an innovation centre with new products and ideas.

Programme theme: “turning up the heat”.

Opening address

Kevin McKay, LACA Chairman

He started with saying that he had changed his opinion and now felt there were “bad foods” not just “bad diets”.

He had come to this view from looking at food specifications.

Issues discussed were:

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  healthy school food;

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  Ofsted;

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  working in partnership with schools and suppliers;

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  the innovation centre at the conference;

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  funding for implementation of healthy food in schools.

A survey of LACA members had shown that it would cost £450 million to implement the Caroline Walker Trust guidelines.

School meals - the vision for the future

Parmjit Dhanda MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children

He went through the standards for school meals reflecting on:

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  fruit and vegetables;

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  quality meat;

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  ban confectionery;

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  no diet drinks.

Nutrition standards are to be implanted in primary schools in 2008 and secondary schools in 2009. The standards covered vending and tuck shops as well.

He explained that the School Food Trust had been established to assist LEAs.

Turning the tables and the role of the school food trust

Suzi Leather, Chairman - School Food Trust

She started with discussing the poor diet of children and being linked to cancer, coronary heart disease as well as ability to learn:

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  The BMA estimating that by 2020, 30 per cent boys and 40 per cent girls will be obese. Obesity costs the NHS over £1 billion per year.

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  Fibre intake is 33 per cent below recommended levels in children.

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  Twenty-five per cent of 15-18 years olds have a calcium level below that recommended.

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  Fifty per cent girls aged 11-14 years have an iron intake below that recommended.

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  Half a million 8-16 years olds have no breakfast each day.

Lottery funding for a lets cook programme had been secured, which would start in 2007. This is a 5 year programme for community based programmes.

Helping caterers to deliver the new standards

Dr Michael Nelson, Head of Research, School Food Trust

He emphasised building on existing partnerships and collaborative working with Local Education Authorities, voluntary bodies, SUSTAIN, British Nutrition Foundation and Food Standards Agency, to encourage a higher uptake of school meals.

He want to increase school meal uptake by 4 per cent by 8 March and 10 per cent by 9 March.

Of 150 LACA members, surveyed 85 per cent were on course to meet the food standards and 79 per cent were expected to meet the nutrition standards. 18 per cent did not respond.

One-third of meals in primary schools were supplied by private contractors and one-fifth of meals in secondaries.

In total, 72 per cent meals in primary schools and 96 per cent of meals in secondaries were prepared from scratch.

Twenty per cent of schools had no facilities.

The average cost was £1.54 for a meal in primary schools and £1.62 in secondaries.

Ingredients cost 52p, which represented 33 per cent of the cost in primaries and 32 per cent of the cost in secondaries. Labour costs were 81p.

The transformation agenda - the impact on staff

Christine Lewis, National Education Officer in Education UNISON

A brief history of school meals was given.

The school meal workforce is mainly women and part time workers. Between 1980 and 1983, there were 50,000 job losses due to the increase in price of meals and the increase in children taking sandwiches.

Financing the new nutritional standards

Gavan Conlon, Research Economist - PricewaterhouseCoopers

He repeated that £450 million over 3 years was needed to fund meals and new kitchens.

The Roman revolution

Dr Roberta Sonnino - Cardiff University (Principal Researcher for the Rome case study)

Rome service provides 140,000 meals per day plus snacks. They are paid for by the municipal body in Rome. It employs 70 dietitians. Six companies are involved.

Meals are cooked from scratch from local food that is fully traceable. Seventy per cent of food is organic.

Low income families get subsidies and poor families free meals.

The FSA target nutrient specification for manufactured products used in school meals

Mark Bush, Head of Diet and Nutrition Surveys Branch, Food Standards Agency

The FSA strategic plan 2005-2010 aims to make it easier for consumers to choose a healthier diet.

They are doing this by changing procedures, influencing people and influencing the environment.

Voluntary Target Nutritional Specifications have been developed, which include the maximum amounts of salt and sugar and the minimum amounts of protein in vegetarian products. These were considered to be helpful to contractors and manufacturers.

Monitoring and evaluating the new standards

Peter Griffiths, Subject Specialist Adviser, PHSE OFSTED

He discussed the role of inspectors.

He will look at:

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  Does the food meet the standards?

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  Is fresh produce used?

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  How effective is the school at limiting pupil access to foods such as crisps?

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  Do cooks encourage the children to try new foods?

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  Does the school know how many do not eat breakfast?

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  What other food is available at school?

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  What is the quality of the dining room?

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  Is the lunch time of sufficient length?

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  Are those entitled to free school meals taking them?

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  Do the school provide advice to parents on packed lunches?

Local authority caterers - unstoppable passionate people

Adrian Gilpin

This was a motivational presentation aimed at helping people to achieve a peak performance.

Teaching parents to cook

Alison Williams, Rhondda Cyon Taff, Wales

A project to help parents to cook was described.

Training and qualifications for school caterers

Tony Holyland-People First A new Level 1 qualification in food and nutrition is to be available from September delivered by People First. Levels 2 and 3 qualifications will follow.

Turning up the heat

Rene Carayol

A motivational speaker concluded the event, with a discussion of success and how people need to keep going despite failures.