Minister insists it's 'early days' as tweaks made to new school menu

It's as data shows more pupils turning to packed lunches

The education minister says her department is listening to feedback and actively tweaking menus for school meals.

It's as figures show a decline in the uptake since a new menu was introduced in September, which cut the amount of ultra-processed foods, increased the amount of Manx produce, and swapped desserts for fruit and milk.

Data provided in response to a Tynwald Question for Written Answer shows a trend towards pupils bringing their own packed lunch.

Daphne Caine says there are some small changes being made:

Following the introduction of the new menu, concerns were raised by the parents of diabetic children due to a lack of information about the new menu's nutritional value.

Minister Caine says they've been working with parents and Diabetes Isle of Man to address this issue:

Meanwhile, a recent review of school meals showed almost £150,000 worth of food is wasted each year.

A three-week study at three of the Island's primary schools revealed there's around 40kg of plate waste each week, with a further 31kg thrown away from the kitchens.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture estimates this equates to an average of £145,763.70 per year across all schools - just under five percent of the total budget for school meals on the Island.

You can listen to the full interview with Minister Caine via the Manx Radio Newscast below: