School meal providers using processed food to deal with rising costs
New survey reveals 52.2% of school meal providers expect the quality of school meals get worse
A new survey has shown 28% of school meal providers are using processed food to deal with rising costs.
Furthermore, almost 35% said they are considering switching from British meat to meat from abroad.
In addition, the survey found that 52.2% expect the quality of school meals to continue getting worse over the coming weeks and months.
A shocking 91% of the 99 school meal providers polled by Laca The School Food People across England and Wales said they are experiencing food shortages, with over 60% saying this has not improved since May.
Bread, fish, cheese, pasta and potatoes are the items most affected. The survey also found that prices have risen by a further 30% since May.
This is in addition to the 20% price increases that Laca members reported in May, compared with April 2020.
'A hungry child cannot learn'
Laca is calling on the Government to increase funding per meal for both Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) – currently £2.41 – and Free School Meals (FSM) – currently £2.47 – to address the current cost-of-living crisis and for this to increase annually with inflation.
Chairman of Laca Brad Pearce said: “Despite the best efforts of our members and dedicated frontline staff, the school meals industry is on its knees.
“The challenges facing our industry are set to get worse over the coming weeks and months.
“Without an increase in school meal funding the most vulnerable children in our society will go without, possibly, their only hot, healthy and nutritious meal of the day.
“We are also urging the Government to raise the FSM entitlement threshold to all children whose parents are on Universal Credit, to ensure that no child misses out on a school lunch.
“A hungry child cannot learn, but for too many children this could soon become their reality.”
Laca has more than 900 members and 80% of the school catering service in the UK is provided by Laca members.
Cost of living crisis
Interest rates and inflation go up
Inflation rose by 8.8% in the 12 months to January 2023, down from 9.2% in December 2022. With interest rates also rising to 4%, those saving money will earn more interest on their finances, whilst those paying mortgages would pay more interest to the bank.
Energy bills
The price of energy went up incredibly as the cost of living crisis hit, with the gas price spike caused largely by the war in Ukraine. The price cap - which is set by an independent regulator to help offset costs onto customers - was set to rise to £3,549 for an average home in October but a price freeze from the government restricted the typical bill to £2,500. That's still an increase of 27% from the previous energy cap and as it's a cap on unit cost, the more energy you use the higher your bill will be.
Food prices
The cost of a weekly shop also has gone up as a result of the cost of living crisis. As a result of the war in Ukraine, a number of products including cooking oils and wheat have been disrupted. This means that several products are now considerably more expensive, driving bills up for customers.
Prices at the pumps
The average cost of petrol has also rose to unprecedented levels. Supply lines for petrol have been thrown into doubt as a result of the war in Ukraine, as Russia is a large export partner for gas, oil and fuel. In April 2022, the average price for a litre of petrol on the forecourt was 160.2p, whilst a litre of diesel would cost 170.5p. By late June 2022 the price had risen to an average of 190.9p for a litre of unleaded and 198.9p for a litre of diesel. In March 2023 the price wass on average of 147.03 in petrol and 167.04 in diesel.
Average cost of filling up a car with petrol hits £100
On 9th June 2022, the average cost of filling up a car with petrol hit £100 for the first time ever. Diesel had already hit that milestone. It comes as the cost of fuel hit a record high of one pound eighty a litre. The 2p rise was the biggest daily jump in 17 years. Prices have dropped by at least 20p per litre since the high point.