EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of meals left over each week at Fife schools
Our investigation reveals that out of 120,000 plates prepared, 6,000 are left over.
Last updated 18th Dec 2017
Forth News can reveal that there were 6,000 meals left over each week at schools in Fife in 2017.
A freedom of information request showed that out of 120,000 plates prepared, 5% of those were surplus to requirement.
Our reporter, Hazel Martin visited Kennoway Primary in the Kingdom:
Fife council is in charge of providing lunch to pupils across the Kingdom.
A spokesperson claimed that the numbers are so high this year, because of a change in the way children chose what they ate.
But in previous years, the amount of plates left over each week was still in the thousands.
Service manager, Keith Breasly, says it is something Fife Council is working hard to reduce the amount of food ending up in the bin.
He said: “It is very hard to predict what every pupil will want, so there’s bound to be some amount of waste.
“We have guidelines from the Government which say what every item on that plate has to weigh, so there is a minimum weight for everything we serve, so it is difficult to go against that”.
He added: “It is foremost on our minds at the moment and we are looking at software systems that will allow pupils to pre-order their meals in the classroom in the morning”