Today, BBC England return to their greasy school kitchens strangely located next to, according to the junk statistics of Pisa, high achieving classrooms. It doesn’t add up.
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BBC England, today has the above. BBC Scotland does not. Here’s why:
Scotland has its own statutory framework under the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. These cover food and drink standards across the whole school day plus nutrient standards for analysed primary lunches, secondary analysed lunches, and secondary hostel evening meals. Limits include restrictions on red/processed meat, requirements for fruit/vegetables portions, oily fish frequency, free sugars, fats, and bans or tight limits on many high-fat/sugar/salt items. https://www.gov.scot/publications/healthy-eating-schools-guidance-2020/pages/2/
and:
Unlike England (where standards exist but enforcement/monitoring has been weaker, contributing to the issues highlighted by Bite Back), Scotland integrates compliance checks into school inspections. Education Scotland employs Health and Nutrition Inspectors (HNIs) who join a sample of primary, secondary, and special school inspections.
Is it working?
Research points to generally strong adherence rather than systemic widespread breaches. Local authority audits and individual HNI feedback (e.g., FOI-released examples) often note that menus meet food/drink standards and that nutritional analysis aligns with (or is close to) nutrient requirements.
https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/files/77196348/77082404.pdf
Will BBC Scotland News staff get to this before they lose their subsidised meals?
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Talking-up Scotland 
Food for thought , eh ? l’ll get ma coat !
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The primary pupils in Scotland get their meals. If they do not like what’s on the menu. They take packed lunch. They like chicken pie, popcorn chicken. Some like veg. Beans etc, There is enough variety but if they do not like it they take packed lunch. They like chips but because of Jamie Oliver’s intervention sometimes they have to take fish. To get chips. They do not like fish so it is left and wasted.
Taste buds do not develop until 18 years. Then youngsters try a more adventurous menu. If kids are forced to eat it all they can develop overweight problems. Leading to obesity. The next scandal of earlier death. Higher funded healthcare.
UK Gov could tackle obesity. Restrict the sugar and fat in processed food. They will not do much to change people’s diet or choices. They do not tackle the food industry. Scotland has limited powers. They introduced MUP. Local councils can restrict opening hours for obesity foods. Or junk premises. Pupils still learn to cook at nurseries and school. That can tackle obesity and promote healthy choices.
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Although it has been in place in Scotland, a number of secondary age children go out of school to local fast food shops for lunch.
The marketing by such shops is pretty slick. There is also the attraction for some adolescents that there is no supervision by teachers, as there is in the school dining places.
Food standards for such places could be tightened to match those in schools. In addition, since fast food shops generate a lot of litter, there could be duties placed upon them in terms of packaging, provision of waste bins on the route to school and seating in or outside the shops.
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