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Written question asked by Ben Coleman (Labour) on Monday, 23 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Breakfast Clubs: Processed Food

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific nutritional and processing specifications are included in contracts for the National Breakfast Club programme to help ensure that the £100m+ of annual public spend is not directed toward ultra-processed cereals and breads.

Answer

The National School Breakfast Programme is an inherited scheme from the previous government and the contract will end in July 2026. The contract with the supplier, Family Action, stipulates that all food available for schools to purchase must meet the School Food Standards. ​

The School Food Standards already restricts foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. However, to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.  ​

This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering seven million meals so far. We are moving into national rollout, investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Schools delivering free breakfast clubs have autonomy in how they procure their breakfast food, which must meet the School Food Standards.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
122983
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Finance Nutrition Processed food Breakfast clubs
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk