School catering staff could soon be sent on a healthy food training course to help the Government hit its targets on healthy eating.
People 1st, the catering sector's skills council, will pilot the course with contract caterers next week, to help them provide healthier options to schools. Catering staff will learn how to balance fat, sugar and salt in meals, and to understand how the body reacts to nutrients and minerals. Dinner-ladies will also be shown how to encourage children to eat healthy food.
If successful, the training could form the basis of an accredited qualification and become the national standard.
Phil Raynsford, People 1st's director of policy, research and development, said: "We wanted to help the industry meet Government compliance on nutritional food quickly and easily. We will report the findings of the pilot scheme to them at the end of March."