An example of one of the new school lunches. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
New school lunches are failing nutrition standards and giving students only half the energy they should, according to new analysis.
But the provider says the meals meet standards.
Doctors and researchers at the Public Health Communication Centre have analysed the nutritional value of the School Lunch Collective meals which were brought in as a cost-saving scheme by the government this year.
The meals were falling well short of expected energy requirements, the report (PDF) said .
Depending on the age group they were for, the energy level in each meal was between 13 and 17.8 percent of daily requirements. That should be closer to 30 percent, the standard in other high-income countries, the researchers said.
"Given that 27 percent of children in New Zealand live in households where food runs out often or sometimes, the very low energy content of the meals is especially worrying," the report said.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour, architect of the new, cheaper school lunch scheme. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"Based on available information, the SLC is delivering substandard lunches to children, which is a major breach of their contractual requirements."
None of the 13 meals the researchers had information on met nutrition standards. The researchers said they wanted to analyse more examples, but were not able to because the collective did not make enough information public.
There should be greater transparency, the report said.
"The meals should be reviewed by the supplier and qualified nutritionists/dietitians to ensure they meet the nutrition standards for each of the year groups supplied."
The analysis found the energy levels in the School Lunch Collective meals were significantly less than those analysed in 2022 under the old system, which ranged from 20 to 25 percent of daily needs. That amounted to a 30 to 40 percent drop, the report said.
Collective dismisses complaints
A School Lunch Collective spokesperson said their meals did meet standards, and there was no requirement for energy measures in its current agreement with the Ministry of Education.
"We have food experts - including chefs and registered dieticians - that play an integral role when we design our menus. They assess carbohydrates and protein levels, as well as vegetable and meal weights to ensure they meet the required nutritional standards."
The Collective also gave the meals to the Ministry of Education for further feedback and tested with students to make sure they were enjoyable, the spokesperson said.
It provided a lot of information publicly, including ingredients lists, it said.
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