by Jeanette Riley
A new, national children's food advice service has been launched to
help health professionals feed the children in their care, following
research which reveals that 85 per cent of nurseries across the country
look after children who need special diets.
The research by food campaigner, Lizzie Vann founder of organic children's
food company, Organix was carried out to find out about the kind of
foods children are eating, the information available to childcare
professionals and how they would like to see the future of nursery
food provision.
The results
reveal that while most respondents (94 per cent) say they are confident
that they and their staff have sufficient knowledge of nutrition to
make sure the children in their care have a healthy diet, 57 per cent
say that Government guidelines for healthy eating for under fives
are not available to their nursery.
In addition, nearly 50 per cent of respondents state they are unaware
of the fruit and vegetable Grab 5 scheme*. Meanwhile, a third of respondents
stated that they never use organic ingredients, but 34 per cent claim
that parents request organic foods to be used in the nursery.
Supplementary research following the publication of the questionnaire,
found that the range of special diets required within the majority
of nurseries responding, include nut, wheat and lactose free, vegetarian
and Halal.
While
results show that 65 per cent of nurseries employ a cook to provide
food for the children, they also reveal that two thirds of respondents
do not have specially trained staff to help serve food and 70 per
cent of children are eating meals in their classroom, rather than
in a dining room or special area.
In response
to the findings of the survey, Lizzie Vann has launched The Children's
Food Advisory Service, which will offer free, comprehensive advice
to all early years professionals. It will include a website, a free
phone line and e-mail where children's health professionals can contact
independent experts for advice on food and nutrition issues.
Experts
appointed to provide advice include Dr Vyvyan Howard, toxico-pathologist
from Liverpool University, Dr Brian McDonough, a specialist in nutritional
medicine and a former GP and Suzannah Olivier, nutritionist and author.
Liz Roberts,
editor of Nursery World, says: "Nurseries can lay the foundations
for children to acquire healthy eating habits for life. Health care
professionals are keen to provide the best food possible for the children
in their care, and will really appreciate this new advisory service."
Each
member of the new service will receive a detailed pack including information
and posters on weaning, hyperactivity, feeding the under fives, allergies
and why children need organic food.
Lizzie
Vann, children's food campaigner and founder of Organix Brands, who
last year launched a campaign to lobby for a children's food bill
to improve children's food in the UK, says: "What's clear from
the research is that nurseries are keen to find ways to improve food
provision for their children. The Children's Food Advisory Service
is a project which will provide a comprehensive reference service
and give early years professionals additional support and direct access
to experts in children's health and nutrition."
Additional
research carried out following the publication of the survey has shown
that many nurseries don't allow sweets, chocolate and foods with high
salt and preservatives.
Early
years professionals can register for the service at www.childrensfood.org
or via freephone 0800 996 1114, or Freepost BH1 336, Christchurch,
Dorset, BH23 2ZZ. To join the petition for a children's food bill
visit www.babyorganix.co.uk.
Notes
* Grab 5 is a scheme by campaigning group Sustain, aimed at encouraging
children to eat more fruit and vegetables.
Research
methodology
A questionnaire was published in Nursery World magazine during February
2003 and a sample of 105 completed questionnaires were analysed by
Wirthlin Europe.
Organix
Brands
Lizzie Vann, a committed campaigner for better foods for children,
founded Organix in 1992. She set out by devising recipes in her own
home after discovering how boring and bland most commercial baby food
was.
Ten years on, organic foods are eaten by three out of four children
in their first year of life. Organix has over 60 organic recipes in
its range, including baby and toddler meals in jars for babies from
four months, seven months and 12 months, pasta shapes, infant cereals,
breadsticks, cereal bars, rice cakes, savoury snacks and dried fruit
snacks.
The company's
guiding philosophy is that all children's food should be tasty and
nutritious. Organix only uses organic ingredients, cooked simply,
to ensure optimum taste and nutrition. All of its recipes are free
from any additives, flavourings, thickeners, added sugar, processing
aids and unnecessary fillers.
Children’s
Food Advisory Service Experts
Dr Vyvyan Howard - toxico-pathologist
Dr Howard
is an experienced toxico-pathologist and senior lecturer at the University
of Liverpool, where he heads the Developmental Toxico-Pathology research
group. Over the past decade he has studied human and mammalian foetal
and neonatal development. He is particularly concerned with the potential
'cocktail effect' of the mixtures of pollutants to which were are
all exposed to on a daily basis and the inadequacy of classical toxicology
and risk assessment techniques to address the problems of accurately
assessing the potential health effects of chronic low dose expose
to these mixtures of chemicals, many of which have their maximum impact
upon the developing foetus. Dr Howard was appointed to the Advisory
Committee on Pesticides in March 2003.
Dr Brian McDonough - specialist in nutritional medicine
Dr Brian
McDonough is a specialist in nutritional medicine, with more than
twenty years experience as a General Practitioner. In 2001 he became
the very first graduate of the Masters' Degree in Nutritional Medicine
at the University of Surrey, in addition to his two medical degrees.
He regularly lectures in the field of nutritional medicine to university
and college students. His dissertation was on the role of nutrition
in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Dr McDonough opened
the Eagle Clinic in Crawley, West Sussex, in 2002. This is a private
medical practice integrating mainstream, nutritional and preventative
medicine in a holistic approach to health problems.
Suzannah
Olivier - nutritionist and author
Suzannah
Olivier is the author of many nutrition books including What Should
I Feed My Baby? Her new book Food For My Healthy Child is due to be
published shortly. She writes regularly on nutrition and parenting
issues for a number of magazines. "Opinions and choices relating
to food are endless and it can be a confusing minefield. The nutritionist
in me aims to give the best and most current information available
to help people raise healthy, happy children. The working parent in
me realises that the idea often needs to be tempered by the reality
of busy lives and entrenched eating habits. Making nutrition guidelines
work for individuals is a major part of my writing".
KEY FINDINGS
• 85 per cent of respondents say they care for children with
special diets
• 94 per cent say they are confident that they and their staff
have sufficient knowledge of nutrition to make sure the children
in their care have a healthy diet
• 57 per cent of respondents say that Government guidelines
for healthy eating for under fives were not available to their nursery
• 50 per cent of respondents say they are unaware of the Grab
5 scheme
• A third of respondents say they never use organic ingredients
• 34 per cent claim that parents request organic foods to
be used in the nursery
• 65 per cent of nurseries employ a cook to provide food for
the children
• Two thirds of respondents do not have specially trained
staff to help serve food
• 70 per cent of children eat meals in their classroom
