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Healthy School Canteens

Press Release

Premier launches NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy

Background

The impetus for the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy came from the NSW Government Childhood Obesity Summit held in September 2002.

Resolution 3.14 relates specifically to school canteens. It states:

"That it be ensured that no canteens sell high fat or high sugar foods or drinks through over-the-counter sales, vending machines, special events or contractors. This may be achieved by: (a) legislation; (b) policy directives; (c) support or incentives for school canteens; and/or (d) other means."

School canteens are one of the major take away food markets in the state with about 2700 schools providing a canteen service. There are in excess of 3200 schools in NSW and close to one million students. A child who regularly purchases breakfast, snacks and lunch from the school canteen consumes a substantial portion of their daily intake from this source.

Fresh Tastes

The Fresh Tastes NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy is all about giving students across NSW a taste for healthy foods. It heralds a move beyond nutrition guidelines for school canteens to a government-endorsed approach that helps schools determine the healthier types of foods that should be available for sale in their canteens.
The NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy categorises food intro three groupings:

RED 'Occasional'
Do not sell these foods on more than two occasions per term

AMBER 'Select carefully'
Do not let these foods dominate the menu and avoid large serving sizes

GREEN 'Fill the Menu'
Encourage and promote these foods in the canteen

The first support material that has been prepared for schools is the Canteen Menu Planning Guide.

Role of the Healthy Kids School Canteen Association

The Healthy Kids School Canteen Association is a key partner in this strategy. The goals of the NSW SCA are to support school communities wishing to operate economically viable, hygienic and nutrition-orientated school canteens, and to increase the number of nutritious foods available to school canteens.

The Federation of Parents and Citizens Association of NSW

The Federation of Parents and Citizens Association of NSW (P&C Federation) is also a key partner in the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy. A significant number of government schools have canteens run by their P&C Association. P&C Federation provides a range of support services to P&C run canteens, including phone advice, a canteen management manual, insurance coverage and updated information on healthy food through the P&C journal and website www.pandc.org.au