Meals Providers Enter State of Shortages

A survey suggests that children are facing a deterioration in school meals due to shortages and soaring prices in the cost of living crisis.

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School meal providers have said they are being forced to cut back on the quality of meals and use more processed food and poorer-quality meat for student lunches because of cost pressures.

The school food industry has now warned it is “on its knees” because of a mismatch between funding and rising food costs – and said that the situation was only likely to worsen in the coming months.

This seriously impacts children’s health and well-being, with some schools reporting an increase in pupils going hungry or skipping lunch altogether.

It is also causing problems for parents struggling to find the money to pay for school lunches, with many having to resort to packed lunches or free school lunches.

This is a real crisis that is affecting families up and down the country. The government must act now to ensure that children get the nutritious meals they need to thrive at school.

According to the school food providers surveyed, the main reasons for the deterioration in school lunches are:

-Shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables due to poor weather conditions and Brexit

-Soaring prices for key ingredients such as meat, fish, dairy and grains

-Increased costs for energy, packaging and waste disposal

-Reduced funding from local authorities and the government.

The survey also found that:

-42% of respondents have had to use more processed or tinned foods in their school meals because of cost pressures

-41% have had to use cheaper cuts of meat or lower quality meat products

-38% have cut back on the portion sizes of school meals.”

This seriously impacts children’s health and well-being, with some schools reporting an increase in pupils going hungry or skipping meals altogether.

It is also causing problems for parents struggling to find the money to pay for school lunches, with many having to resort to packed lunches or free school meals.

This is a real crisis that is affecting families up and down the country. The government must act now to ensure that children get the nutritious meals they need to thrive at school.

What should the government do to ensure children get the nutritious meals they need? Let us know in the comments below.

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