2. Introduction

The Department of Education is strongly committed to supporting student health and wellbeing through the curriculum in schools and a range of initiatives that offer schools opportunities to promote physical activity and healthy eating.  Schools are encouraged to implement comprehensive health and wellbeing programs, including nutrition education. Good nutrition includes:

• having knowledge and skills
• making healthy food choices
• having healthy attitudes toward food
• having access to healthy food choices
• balance and moderation.
  

The establishment and operation of school canteens is a high priority and should be established to benefit children by:

• making it possible for children to buy nutritious and healthy food at affordable prices during the school day
• making it easier for children to remain within the school grounds during lunch-time for their own safety
• providing experiences of a variety of foods and dishes
• supporting the skills and knowledge learnt in the classroom about food and nutrition
• providing opportunities to be involved in decision making in the school.
  

School canteens should be operated, preferably under the control of a canteen committee, to benefit children by:

• providing food which is attractive, nutritious and tasty
• using volunteer labour wherever possible, to provide an avenue for parental involvement in the school
• charging prices which will allow break even or moderate profits
• complying with the Food Safety Standards www.foodstandards.gov.au/thecode/

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2.1 Food sold in school canteens

School canteens can contribute to the health of their students with practices consistent with those outlined in this handbook. The principal, teachers and other staff, students and parents need to actively promote healthy food and beverage choices in the school canteen.

A canteen policy based on the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia (NH&MRC, 2003) encourages those in control of providing food to reduce health risks from poor nutrition without taking extreme measures.

Clear guidelines (or policy) for the school canteen will facilitate cooperation between the classroom and canteens. The need for action is clear with increasing rates of childhood obesity and overweight in children. It is estimated that approximately one in five Australian children are now either overweight or obese (Booth et al., 2001).

Individual school communities determine whether or not there is a school canteen. In recent years, however, a canteen has been included as part of the design of new primary and secondary schools. In addition, spare buildings at schools have been made available by the Department of Education and modified for use as canteens.

Because canteens have been opened and managed in schools according to local requirements, a wide range of conditions operate throughout the State. There are differences in management. Some canteens are operated by the parents association, some by the school council and some by a leased operation. There are wide differences in goods handled and in the employment arrangements of canteen staff: for example, paid and voluntary labour and contract arrangements.

School canteens are considered food businesses in accordance with The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code adopted in The Food Act 2003 (Tasmania). Compliance with this code is enforced at local government level by Environmental Health Officers employed by the Local Council. The Environmental Health Office will advise you whether your canteen will require registration or notification with the council.

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