Tesco plans a £4m investment to supply fruit and veg to 400 schools in the UK this year. This initiative aims to aid 140,000 pupils with daily servings, addressing nutritional gaps.
- The ‘Fruit & Veg for Schools’ programme partners with the British Nutrition Foundation, targeting schools with high free meal ratios.
- Research highlights a need as 28% of teachers provided food for students last term, rising from 26% in summer 2023.
- Only 12% of children aged 11-18 meet the five-a-day fruit and veg recommendation, with Tesco expecting a 23% intake boost under this scheme.
- Nutrient intake predictions include a 7% rise in vitamin A, 25% in vitamin C, 14% in folate, and 10% increase in fibre.
Tesco is dedicating £4 million towards an ambitious scheme designed to address nutritional needs among school children in 400 schools across the United Kingdom. This initiative is structured to provide approximately 140,000 pupils access to daily servings of fruit or vegetables, thereby supporting a significant portion of the student population in schools where the rate of free school meals exceeds the national average.
Partnering with the British Nutrition Foundation, Tesco’s ‘Fruit & Veg for Schools’ aims to deliver a total of 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables over the academic year. This translates to an average of 110 portions per child. This initiative arrives in response to growing concerns about child nutrition, as evidenced by research conducted by FareShare, a food waste charity, which surveyed 10,000 teachers. The findings disclosed that 28% of teachers in England had personally provided food for their students during the last term, illustrating a marked increase from 26% in the previous summer term.
Current dietary intake among children is insufficient, with only 12% of those aged between 11 and 18 meeting the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. By participating in this programme, Tesco anticipates a 23% improvement in the overall fruit and vegetable consumption among these children, addressing a crucial nutritional deficit.
This expected uptick in fruit and vegetable intake is also projected to enhance nutrient intake significantly. The British Nutrition Foundation estimates an increase of 7% in vitamin A, 25% in vitamin C, 14% in folate, and a 10% boost in fibre across the school year. Such improvements are essential for supporting the health and development of young individuals as they progress through their educational journey.
Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco, remarked on the initiative’s potential impact by stating, “Our aim is to enable schools to provide enough fruit and veg for every child to have at least one piece every day. Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools will make a real difference by providing something that young people look forward to receiving every day, and we hope it will be another little nudge to get them eating healthy food.”
Tesco’s £4m investment in school nutrition reflects a strategic move to promote healthier dietary habits among young students across the UK.
