Lunches Contract Goes To Companies With Poor Track Record On Food Quality And Service

Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) has significant concerns about the quality, nutritional standards and quality controls for the new school lunches programme.

British-based multinational Compass Group, the lead supplier for the new model, lost one third of their school contracts in the current programme due to poor quality in food and service.

Compass has been severely criticised in the past of its catering supply to many New Zealand hospitals.

Libelle lost one third of its schools due to complaints about quality of food and service.

Earlier this year both suppliers underwent a performance management plan, overseen by the Ministry of Education.

"Cabinet has given a $85 million contract to a group led by a company that just months ago was forced to do a performance management plan due to poor quality and service," Dr Kelly Garton, HCA spokesperson says.

Why should New Zealanders have confidence this model will deliver the nutrition and quality growing bodies and minds need?" Garton said.

There is no mention of any evaluation plan for the new program or the expected outcomes that it will deliver. This is a serious gap for a government which says that it will be evidence-based.

Several independent evaluations of the current programme found a wide range of benefits for student health, well-being and educational attainment.

"We would like to know what plans the Ministry has for ongoing evaluation of the new model, and if there will be safeguards in place for poor quality of food and service," Garton said.

We also know there are no nutritionists employed by the school lunches programme, as they were made redundant in the Government’s cuts to public services.

"So, how will the providers be monitored, and assurances on quality provided?"

"Meals that are appealing to students and meet high nutritional standards are fundamental to give these students what their growing bodies and minds need - it is not at all clear the new model will provide these," Garton said.

Research has shown that the internal model for Ka Ora, Ka Ako, where schools provide meals themselves, was more successful in meeting student needs, and the associated positive outcomes.

"We believe it will become extremely difficult for many schools that have successfully provided lunches to continue with funding of just $4 per student - are they expected to go fundraising or use volunteer staff to make up any shortfall?," HCA co-chair Professor Boyd Swinburn said.

We want an Aotearoa where all children and young people have the healthy food they need to grow and learn, irrespective of their family circumstances.

This is not the case in Aotearoa - with 1 in 5 children living in homes that don’t have enough healthy food.

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