Jamie Oliver fears government is undoing school meal progress (in UK)

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Jamie Oliver fears the school meals revolution he kickstarted is in danger of unravelling because ministers are ignoring research showing that nutritious lunches improve learning.

In an interview with the Guardian, the celebrity chef has accused the education secretary, Michael Gove, and the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, of putting at risk the changes that happened after his 2005 Channel 4 series, Jamie's School Dinners.

Some of Gove's decisions on school meals have led to unease among health and education campaigners. Gove has ended the school lunch grant as a separate source of funding and exempted academies from the nutritional standards for all other state schools that Labour introduced after Oliver's programmes highlighted the poor quality of much school food.

Oliver said: "Honestly, I'm very worried. I've had a couple of very cordial, interesting meetings with the secretary of state for education and although I would love to believe that Mr Gove has school food high on his agenda, I've not heard anything so far worth celebrating.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/oct/24/jamie-oliver-school-meals-progress-undone

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Oliver also hosted an American version of that show on ABC, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

Also, beyondchron.org today published this opinion article, "The Real Cost of Serving Real Food"

[SoapBox]

1. It's amazing...starve or pollute the CHILDREN.

...what the hell is wrong with society these days.

Protect the 1%er's at all costs...the 99% can eat moldy cake.

[skyounkin]

2. Can't have a well fed society now can we...

Well fed means inproved learning....

[Beartracks]

3. Did his efforts in the US ever gain any traction?

Or did it fade with snide opinion that it was just an attempt to get people to "eat lettuce"?

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[FailureToCommunicate]

4. His series on US school food was certainly eye-opening

And mildly entertaining: The stares of the lunch ladies at some of his recommendations could've curdled milk (if it wasn't already curdled!)