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Nutritional standards in UK schools, July 2009

In 2006, 617 million school meals were served in England alone. The situation regarding school meals differs in the constituent countries of the UK. In England, new legislation on minimum nutritional standards in schools began in 2008 in primary schools and will come into force in secondary schools by September 2009. It consists of food- and nutrient-based standards for school food. The devolved administrations have already implemented similar legislation and face similar issues in improving school food. This note outlines children's nutritional requirements, the take-up of school meals in the UK, the capacity to enforce the standards and the impact of children's diet on behaviour and learning.