Annex Cii - Monitoring using nutrient analysis

Using a checklist is fine for everyday monitoring of national nutritional standards. But even if you prepare food according to the manufacturer's instructions or follow a recipe closely, you cannot be sure of the nutrient level in the food without a breakdown of the final dish. You can carry out an approximate nutritional analysis yourself or invite members of the school food committee to do it, for example using a computer software package.

In addition to any analysis you carry out within the school, a detailed analysis of the nutrients of the food on offer could be conducted by an independent expert such as a community dietitian. A laboratory analysis of a sample of foods (which should include vegetables) should also be carried out to show the level of nutrients which are being retained in the food after preparation and cooking. A laboratory analysis is the best way of checking levels of heat-sensitive vitamins, such as vitamin C. Your Local Education Authority or school might arrange this automatically.

Use this information to see:

• whether your meals are providing the energy and nutrients that pupils need.
  
• what changes you need to make to your menus, food preparation and cooking practices. Use the suggestions in chapters 3 and 4 to make improvements.
  

There are various software programmes which will carry out a nutritional analysis, some of which provide a comparison with the Caroline Walker Trust nutritional guidelines for school meals. An extract from the Caroline Walker Trust Guidelines is reproduced below. It is particularly important to concentrate on levels for energy (calories) and major nutrients such as fat, protein, calcium, iron and vitamin C.

The Caroline Walker Trust (CWT) Nutritional Guidelines for School Meals

The overall aim of these nutritional guidelines for school meals is to contribute to a diet which contains more bread, cereals and other starchy foods, more fruit and vegetables, and less fat, sugar and salty foods, and which is richer in minerals and vitamins.

The Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) Report Dietary, Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom, London, HMSO, 1991, forms the basis for these recommendations on nutritional standards.

The CWT guidelines provide figures for the recommended nutrient content of an average school meal provided for children over a one-week period.

In practical terms this is the total amount of food provided, divided by the number of children eating it, averaged over a week.

Summary of nutritional guidelines for school meals

Explanation of terms

COMA (Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy)

COMA was a non-statutory committee of independent experts which advised the Department of Health through the Chief Medical Officer. Its advice was generally published in the form of Reports on Health and Social Subjects by the Stationery Office (formerly HMSO). This committee will be replaced by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

DRVs (Dietary Reference Values)

COMA's Report onDietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom, commonly known as the DRV Report, was published in 1991 and is still current.

The term Dietary Reference Value is a general one that is used to cover all the figures produced within the Report. Variations within this are explained in more detail below. The figures are estimates of the range of requirements for nutrients in the healthy population. It is important to recognise that they are intended to apply to healthy people and do not make any allowance for the different energy and nutrient needs imposed by some diseases.

EAR (Estimated Average Requirement)

This is an estimate of the average requirement or need for food energy or a nutrient applicable to each specified group.

RNI (Reference Nutrient Intake)

This is the estimated amount of a nutrient which will be enough for almost everyone in the population. This level of intake is, therefore, higher than most healthy people need and if individuals are consuming the RNI they are most unlikely to be deficient in that nutrient. It is prudent for those planning diets for groups of people that most nutrients are provided at the RNI to ensure that the nutritional requirements of most people are met.

LRNI (Lower Reference Nutrient Intake)

This is the estimated amount of a nutrient adequate for only the very few members of the population with the lowest need. It will not be sufficient for the majority of people and if a person is regularly eating less than the LRNI they will almost certainly be deficient in that nutrient.

Non-milk extrinsic sugars

Sugars which are not part of the cellular structure of food, but excluding the sugar in milk or milk products. Examples of NME sugars are table sugar, honey and the sugars in fruit juices and soft drinks. Sugars which are contained in the cellular structure of food are those found in fruit and vegetables.

Safe intake

This is a term used to indicate intake of a nutrient for which there is not enough information to estimate requirements precisely. A safe intake is one that is judged to be adequate for most people's needs but not so large as to cause harmful effects.

Primary schools: all pupils

These guidelines provide figures for the recommended nutrient content of an average school meal provided for children over a one-week period. In practical terms this is the total amount of food provided, divided by the number of children eating it, averaged over a week.

Sodium should be reduced in catering practice.

Middle schools: all pupils

These guidelines provide figures for the recommended nutrient content of an average school meal provided for children over a one-week period. In practical terms this is the total amount of food provided, divided by the number of children eating it, averaged over a week.

Sodium should be reduced in catering practice.

these guidelines as a percentage of the energy recommendation, to give the Calculated Reference Value. The calculated NSP guideline is 8g per 1,000 kcal.

Abbreviations

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