Deep-Fried Food to be Banned Under New School Dinner Plans in England

The UK government’s proposals would apply to both primary and secondary schools, with a nine-week consultation period before final standards are confirmed. If approved, the new rules are expected to come into force from September 2027. Schools would also need to publish their menus online, and a new enforcement system is being developed to ensure compliance. The policy aligns with broader UK government efforts to improve child nutrition, including expanded eligibility for children from poorer families to receive free school meals.

While the overall direction of the policy has been widely welcomed, critics have raised concerns about funding. School leaders and catering providers argue that current budgets already fall short of the true cost of delivering quality meals, sometimes resulting in smaller portions or lower-quality ingredients. As a result, the central debate is now less about the nutritional goals and more about whether sufficient financial support will be provided to make the changes workable in practice.

To read how, in 2024, California lawmakers passed a bill to ban schools from serving foods containing six artificial ingredients that have been linked to low IQ, behavioral problems, and cancer, see this news story on our website.