McCain slams DfES over school food restrictions

Potato processor McCain Foods has criticised the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) for limiting schoolchildren’s consumption of deep-fried foods to two portions a week.

The move, which took effect at the start of September, is part of the government’s plans to transform school food and tackle obesity as set out in the School Meals Review Panel’s report, Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food​, published in October last year.

But McCain believes the restriction should differentiate between products that are deep-fried at the point of consumption, and those deep-fried during the manufacturing process.

“In a perverse way, the DfES is condoning deep-fat frying in schools,” said McCain director of corporate affairs Bill Bartlett. “We would argue that our products offer a healthier version of fried foods and we could maintain menus that are attractive to children,” he said.

“We are not advocating chips every day, but there are enough variants in the range for our products to have a place on the menu every day of the week. This is a compelling argument, but unfortunately at this juncture, it is falling on deaf ears,” he added.

The firm, which fears that it will lose out to cheaper, unhealthier deep-fried chips, campaigned for the current ‘deep-fried’ definition to be amended to cover only foods that are deep-fried at the point of consumption. This would mean McCain’s products, which are deep-fried during the manufacturing process, could be used on a daily basis. However, the DfES has refused to change its position.

The School Food Trust, which has been charged with taking forward the recommendations from the School Meals Review Panel, said: “You can make products without deep frying them. It’s up to McCain to change their product. The standards aren’t just about reducing fat, it’s about forming children’s eating habits and creating a new culture of healthy eating.”

The DfES added: “The health of young people is our primary concern. The standards were fully consulted and considered in detail. All parties were given the opportunity to express any views or concerns they had over the proposed standards.”