It is naïve to believe that implementation of an unregulated school lunch programme will solve the problem of kids going to school hungry and our appalling child obesity levels.
New Zealand has no regulations regarding the minimum nutritional requirements for the provision of school lunches and when asked exactly how the school lunch programmes would be rolled out the Prime Minister suggested that some schools may want to set up their own kitchens and some schools may like to partner with the local bakery.
Bakeries don't sell the fruit and vegetables required to round out a balanced healthy diet.
Governmental research has shown that up to 25 per cent of children and adults in New Zealand are suffering from zinc micronutrient malnutrition which is an essential neurotransmitter precursor producing happy hormones serotonin and dopamine. Recent research has linked zinc deficiency to ADHD in schoolchildren.
So providing healthy school lunches is not just a case of popping down to the local bakery for a few bread rolls or for schools to set up their own catering kitchens which are massive investments and have a whole raft of food safety issues and have to operate as a licensed food premises.
World Health Organisations have long understood the importance of providing
healthy nutrition to schoolchildren so they can develop healthy bodies and minds.
We know that around 20 per cent of New Zealand schoolchildren go to school hungry and there are numerous clinical trials that have shown that well fed kids are emotionally well adjusted, less disruptive in the classroom, and learn better and faster.
There is significant scientific evidence that unhealthy school lunches contribute to micronutrient malnutrition and obesity in both the short term and long term.
A new study on global obesity rates showed that New Zealand kids had the second highest rate of child obesity in the OECD.
Nearly 40 per cent of our kids are overweight or obese and many blame this on the consumption of sugary drinks and confectionery items.
It would be a convenient truth if this were the only cause but it is our kids' overall fast food and highly processed food diets, lack of knowledge around good nutrition choices and lack of exercise that underpins our appalling child obesity figures.
In contrast, providing healthy lunch food options and promoting healthy eating habits in schools has been shown to reduce adolescent obesity by as much as 25 per cent.
So the key message here is that our kids deserve safe, healthy and nutritious school lunches which is why Japan, the UK and US and many other countries have legal regulatory standards regarding nutritional requirements for school lunches.
It would be a good idea for the Government to engage with those who are already successfully providing free breakfast and lunch options to schools and ask for their input.
There has been no "industry" consultation regarding "lessons learnt" and the
potential for governmental partnerships.
For the past few months I have been visiting schools handing out five stars rated healthy amigo bars which are a supplemented food regulated by MPI based on the
Australian and New Zealand Food Standards which ensures kids get the correct levels of protein and vitamins and minerals.
What I have learnt is that lunch is just too late for some kids. One school nurse said "it's routine for some kids to pass out before lunch because the last time they ate was 4pm the previous day".
I would urge the Government to convene a gathering of all interested parties to come up with a holistic nutrition and exercise programme for New Zealand schoolchildren and set mandatory standards for school lunches.
The greatest investment we can make for the future of New Zealand is to grow healthy happy kids.
Without appropriate school lunch standards and ongoing monitoring of standards the well-meaning Government and the local bakery may make our children the most obese and malnourished children in the world.
Sir Ray Avery is pharmaceutical scientist, inventor and author.
