Brussels, 16/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - As part of the European Commission's efforts to help reduce childhood obesity, on Wednesday 16 July, the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), published the first comprehensive report on school food policies in Europe. It shows that European countries acknowledge the important contribution of school food to children's health, development and performance at school. Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg said: “Nearly one in every three children in Europe are overweight or obese... Schools are important partners in our efforts to encourage children to develop healthy eating habits”. Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, responsible for Research, Innovation and Science, added: “This report provides a good basis for European policymakers, educators and scientists to investigate potential links between school food policies and public health, and evaluate the effectiveness of promoting healthy eating habits”.
Although all the countries studied (28 European member states, plus Norway and Switzerland) have guidelines for school food, these vary considerably, ranging from schools with voluntary guidelines for menus and portion sizes, to complete bans on vending machines and sugar-sweetened drinks. The report maps the most recent national policy documents for standards and guidelines on food available in primary and secondary schools. Some key facts underlined in the report are: 1) over 90% of the policies studied contain food-based standards to ensure balanced menus; 2) restrictions or recommendations related to the availability of beverages are very common (65-82%); 3) improving child nutrition, teaching healthy diet and lifestyle habits as well as reducing or preventing childhood obesity are the primary general goals shared by most countries; 4) sweet treats and savoury snacks are restricted in most policies, ranging from those that occasionally allow them to complete bans; 5) measuring the outcome of the school food policy is required or recommended in 59% of the policies; 6) energy and fat intake are the most common parameters included in energy/nutrient-based standards for lunch (used in 65% and 56% of all policies, respectively); 7) vending machine offers are restricted in about half of the countries studied; 8) measures are being taken to limit the marketing of fat and sugar rich foods. (IL)