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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and (b) others about the effects of partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) in school dinners; and if she will make a statement. [210429] Derek Twigg: The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health, or any others, on this issue. However, this Department works closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), who provide information to the public and Government on food safety, nutrition and diet. We have a formal agreement with FSA which requires them to inform us, without delay, of any information on food safety, nutrition and diet that requires us to take action. This Department together with the Department of Health, Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and the FSA, have jointly provided £1.1 million that will be used over the next three years to improve school meals. We will be revising both primary and secondary school meal standards, to reduce the consumption of fat, as well as salt and sugar and increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables. In our guidance, `Healthy School Lunches', we advise that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be used wherever possible. www.dfes.gov.uk/ schoollunches.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

210429; 430 c229-30W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Fats Food Standards Agency Nutrition Standards School meals Sugar Salt Oils

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk