Changes to School Milk Provision

Archived

Monday, 04 November 2002

Changes to the provision of free school milk under the Government's Healthy Start Initiative, released yesterday, have come under fire from the National School Milk Administration Agency (NSMA). Currently all playgroups and school nurseries are eligible for free mid-morning milk every school day for their under-fives. The new proposal, which could be in place by 2004, would instead give the choice of either free milk or a piece of fruit. Head of the NSMA, Jon Thornes commented, "If it were fruit and milk there would be no problem, but everything seems to be angled towards fruit and they seem to have a real downer on milk. Unfortunately some children do not get milk at home, they are drinking nothing but fizzy pop and cordials. This is a good opportunity to introduce them to a more healthy drink at an earlier age."
Source: Western Daily Press via Soil Association website