Full fat milk axed from Lancashire's schools

10:40pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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By Tom Moseley »

FULL-fat milk is to be axed from schools in Lancashire in a bid to tackle child obesity.

County hall education bosses say giving children semi-skimmed milk instead will improve their health.

The switch has been backed by medical experts, school governors and politicians, who say it is a positive step to tackle a major issue.

Burnley council leader Gordon Birtwistle said: “For once, I have to agree with what the county council has done.

“It’s a sensible move because children’s obesity is a serious problem.”

A recent study revealed that a quarter of children in East Lancashire were obese or overweight, compared with a national average of 16 per cent.

The figures showed more than one in four 10-year-olds in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale were too fat.

Burnley also had the highest number of obese reception-aged children in the county.

And neighbouring Pendle had the third worst record for obese four-year-olds in the county with 10 per cent of Rossendale infants classed as dangerously overweight.

Figures for a Lancashire County Council study found that 8.7 per cent of reception children in Hyndburn are obese and 21.1 per cent overweight, compared to 7.9 per cent and 22.2 per cent in the Ribble Valley.

At Year 6 level (age 10 and 11) in Hyndburn 16 per cent are obese and 28.5 overweight, compared to 16 per cent and 27.7 per cent in the Ribble Valley.

County councillor Vali Patel, cabinet member for schools, said: “This change is mainly to do with health.

“Obesity and so on are big news at the moment, and this is one way of helping children to be more healthy.

“And it will save money as well so that is a good side-effect.

“It’s about time we did this.”

A report presented to councillors said Lancashire County Council was among very few authorities in the country that still gives children full-fat milk.

National guidelines that came into force in September state that only skimmed or semi-skimmed milk should be provided in schools.

The switch from full cream to semi-skimmed milk would save council coffers £2,365 a month, it said, because a carton of semi-skimmed is half a penny cheaper.

And it is claimed most children prefer the taste of semi-skimmed milk and some are being put off by the full-fat version.

Lancashire youngsters have been given up to a third of a pint of full-fat school milk since 1981 until they reach the age of seven, which equates to about 430,000 cartons a month.

Full cream milk has a fat content of four per cent, compared to two per cent in semi-skimmed milk.

Jenny Slaughter, a freelance dietician who works with Burnley food Links, said: "On balance it's a good idea that people reduce their fat consumption.

“However, the fat that is skimmed off will re-enter the food chain via other sources such as ready meals so we have to be careful about what we are eating.

"If we want people and children to have a pint of milk a day then it will make a difference over time.

"It’s not a huge decrease in fat content in the great scheme of things but people have to make small adjustments if they want to bring their overall fat levels down."

Coun Martin Smith, a governor at Casterton Primary School. Thames Avenue, Burnley, said: “I didn’t realise they had been giving them full-fat milk.

“I would have thought it would have been higher on their agenda, but it’s a good idea nonetheless.

“As far as I am aware the children still love having milk these days, and it’s particularly important in deprived areas.”

Diane Cannon, of the non-profit School Milk Project, said: “All children can benefit from having a healthy balanced diet, of which milk is a key element and provides essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that a growing body needs.

“It’s fantastic to see how proactive Lancashire is.”

Blackburn with Darwen council, which controls its own services independently of County Hall, does not provide free school milk for children.