The FINANCIAL -- Education caterer Innovate Services' recent research into packed lunches found that just 7% complied with the food-based standards for school dinners, according to Caterer and Hotelkeeper.

The caterer's Lunch Box Amnesty study group also found that just under a quarter (24%) of lunch boxes analysed achieved the food-based standard of a minimum two portions of fruit and vegetables, while the majority (77%) contained a type of food or drink that was not permitted.

Public health nutritionist Robert Hobson, who carried out the analysis, said that the audit showed that a majority of the lunch boxes failed to meet the food and nutrient-based standard for school lunches, suggesting that lunches offered in the school canteen could instead offer a far healthier alternative.

Professor Lisa Ackerley, chartered environmental health practitioner, said the findings also highlighted a need to look at the microbiological safety of foods.

Derick Martin, co-founder and chief executive of Innovate Services, said: "From our sample, it is clear that producing a lunch box that includes the right nutrients, that is not exposed to potentially harmful bacteria and offers variety at an affordable price is a difficult balance to achieve.

In total, 120 year 7 and year 8 students from four secondary schools took part in the study, providing a sample of 70 packed lunches to analyse from a nutritional standpoint.

Of these, 49 lunch box samples were subsequently tested from a food safety and hygiene perspective and 80 students also completed written questionnaires.

Related Stories

• Scottish Parliament backs 50p minimum alcohol unit price
• Thistle becomes first UK hotel group to gain full Vegetarian Society accreditation
• Natural History Museum receives Two Star rating from the SRA