Education Today Education Today Magazine
Rupert Weber, head of apetito’s Education Division, highlights the challenges of catering for pupils safely at a time when the numbers of children living with allergens is on the rise….
One hardly thinks of the school kitchen or dining room as a place of danger! But nevertheless, allergies, intolerances, and personal or religious preferences all have an impact on the provision of food, so the ability to cater for diverse requirements is an important aspect of providing nutritious meals and in some cases, is imperative to keeping pupils safe.
pupils safe. Since 2014, it has been a legal requirement for schools to provide allergen information on the foods they provide. The law requires all food outlets to provide full ingredients lists with clear allergen labelling on food that is prepared, pre-packed and offered to consumers on the same premises. Every school caterer will be very conscious of Natasha’s Law, which came into effect in October 2021, following the tragic death of Natasha EdnanLaperouse. Natasha inadvertently consumed a sandwich that contained nuts that was not clearly labelled on the packaging and the consequences were devastating. Every school caterer is responsible for checking their menus, and their supply chain to ensure the utmost transparency when catering for children.
Almost 5 to 8% of children suffer from a food allergy in the UK and allergies are becoming increasingly common. There are 14 major food allergies recognised by EU Allergy Law which must legally be listed on food packaging, for example, they may be highlighted in bold or the text capitalised. Common allergies among children include peanuts and tree nuts, eggs, cereals containing gluten, and milk. However, children could have an allergy to anything (including those not listed within the 14 required by law); it depends on the individual.
It should be noted that there is a difference between ‘made without’ and ‘free from’. It’s a very important distinction for schools to be aware of when catering for mealtimes.
When meals are cooked from scratch on site, whether that be by an inhouse kitchen team or contract caterer, it is vital to ensure the separation of foods which are at risk. Plus, additional factors need to be considered such as the opportunity for unintended cross-contamination of foods and how individual dietary requirements are met within a larger pool of children. Cross contamination is one of the biggest challenges for cooks in a busy school kitchen.
Free-from meals are those that are free-from all 14 of the main allergens. ‘Made without’ cannot be considered ‘free-from’. They may be made at the same time – and in the same production kitchen as other meals, which may contain allergens. Scientific analysis can occasionally reveal a speck of powdered milk, or similar, in a meal made without dairy. This may be because it has floated in the air and into a dairy-free meal. To ensure the safety of meals, schools are increasingly turning to a preprepared meal service, which not only ensures consistency of cost and menus, but helps them manage free-from’ needs in a way that is simple. Let us help you make your mealtimes safe with great tasting, nutritious meals that ensure your pupils can enjoy their meals whilst all dietary requirements are safely met.
https://www.apetito.co.uk/our-service/school-meal-services
