New research by campaign group Bite Back 2030 has found that 76% of secondary school menus analysed had at least one confirmed violation of the current School Food Standards.

Bite Back used an innovative AI-assisted process to analyse a sample of menus against the current School Food Standards, with potential violations manually reviewed by a human researcher before being confirmed.

Among the menus analysed, AI flagged the following potential violations. 57% offered processed meat such as burgers, nuggets, sausages and goujons more often than permitted; 53% included non-permitted snacks; 37% offered hash browns as a standing breakfast or break option; and 31% included confectionery, such as chocolate chips or coatings, as an ingredient in desserts or bakes.

New polling conducted by Public First on behalf of the School Food Review found 72% of parents support government measures to check whether the food served in their child's school meets the updated standards.

Parents also want the Government to go further on Free School Meals, with 80% supporting extending them to every primary school child and 78% supporting universal provision across both primary and secondary schools.

The Government's proposed new School Food Standards could mean more fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses on school menus and tighter restrictions on high-sugar and other unhealthy food and drinks.

Bit Back is calling for the final School Food Standards to cover the whole school day, including breakfast and break times, require complete and accessible school menus to be published online, and to be backed by a properly resourced system of independent monitoring and enforcement.