Fast-food firms target primary schools

Fast-food giants are targeting primary school children, offering schools cheap deals to on-sell their meals - some of which have more fat than KFC chicken or McDonald's fries.

Domino's pizza has signed up more than 100 schools to its "Lunch Programme" scheme and is regularly selling its mini pizzas to school canteens across the country.

The company also sponsors pizza-making and eating competitions, and gives classes of children free pizzas for special lunches.

Dietitians said the pizzas were low in nutrients and too high in fat, salt and energy - meaning they could affect children's learning.

Green Party spokeswoman Sue Kedgley called for the pizzas - along with all other big-brand products - to be banned from schools. She said it was "almost unethical to be targeting children with branding".

"They want to get children at the youngest possible age because that's the ideal way to be growing their market."

Subway has between 75-100 schools - mostly primary - regularly buying in cut-price rolls, cookies, fruit and drinks for their pupils.

Many schools mark up the price to make a profit from the deal.

Nicky McCarthy, public health dietitian for the Canterbury District Health Board, said the companies were clearly trying to hook children early.

The nutritional comparisons Domino's drew with other canteen foods were "not that flash" and even a Subway roll could contain more fat than a large burger, she said.

She was shocked that Domino's marketed its pizzas as nutritious.

"That's certainly a matter of opinion. A slice of Hawaiian pizza could be [a balanced meal], coupled with a salad and followed by a piece of fruit...but we're talking about children.

"It's not socially responsible. They don't have the knowledge to make all those choices."

The Domino's campaign - which encourages children as young as five to buy pizzas at school - comes on the back of a nationwide push to get junk food out of school canteens and lunchboxes.

McCarthy said that next year the pizzas could be banned when new guidelines were introduced. "They'll be getting in while they can."

The Herald on Sunday spoke to one school which was making a 33 per cent profit from the Domino's deal.

Peter Jones, Domino's general manager, said his pizzas were "a good nutritional meal".

But the pizzas delivered to canteens have up to 430 calories and 20.4 grams of fat - more than a Chick'n McCheese burger or two tubs of KFC cheesecake.

The healthiest option, a classic crust Hawaiian, still has more fat and calories than regular KFC fries.

When asked about the ethics of selling pizza through schools, Jones said: "That's a bit of a tough question really."

He added: "Look, our food in moderation, like any food, is, healthy. We don't advocate that people should be eating pizza seven days a week."

He said some franchisees were very proactive about getting schools on the books. "Realistically, most stores should have one to two schools... generally speaking, primary schools."

Mark Rutherglen, development agent for Subway, said its school lunch programme had started when the company entered New Zealand in 1995 but the past few years had seen a boom in school sales.

Schools across the country - Rutherglen estimated up to 100 were involved - now held special "Subway Days" on which children pre-ordered food to be delivered at lunchtime.

There was no set menu.

Most schools chose to offer children smaller deli-style sandwiches and Subway would make only "cold" subs for schools, he said.

Nutritional information on the Subway website showed, in general, the food sold to school children was healthier than other canteen options such as pies or sausage rolls.

But a six-inch tuna sub with mayonnaise and a cookie has more fat and calories than a large McDonald's fries or a 10-pack of McNuggets.

Some schools also offered double meat, cheese or dressing options, pushing fat content up.

Subway gave schools a marked-down price and it was up to schools whether they made a profit or not, Rutherglen said. Christchurch's Prebbleton School said it had negotiated a 5 per cent cut of Subway sales to their children.

Hamilton's Rhode St Primary School was making even more from its Domino's deal.

A school spokeswoman told the Herald on Sunday she knew Domino's pizzas were "not the healthiest" but the company sold them so cheaply that the school made a 33 per cent profit.

She had been approached by a Domino's representative and regularly bought pizzas for $3 each, selling them at $4 in the school tuckshop.

The school regularly held special "Domino's days" and about 40 children ordered the pizzas each time.

"Our parents don't support fundraising so this is my way of fundraising," the woman said. "It's a treat, buying lunch on a Friday."

In June, Domino's sponsored a pizza-eating competition at Kapiti College. Year 11 dean Cathy Stewart said that the following week the students had a competition to tow a Domino's delivery car. At both events, pizza vouchers were given as prizes.

The company also gave the school 15 pizzas for a special class lunch.

Domino's - with competitors Pizza Hutt and Hell's Pizza - had also sponsored a pizza-making contest at Irongate Primary School in Hastings.