35 organizations sign Healthy Nutrition at Schools Agreement 2021–2025

The school environment has a major influence on young people’s lives. Offering healthy food and drinks at schools provides an important foundation for these young people’s lifestyles. The Healthy Nutrition at Schools Agreement 2021–2025 follows on from the agreement covering the 2016–2020 period. Through the Healthy Nutrition at Schools Agreement 2021–2025, all parties will make an important contribution over the next five years to encouraging healthier choices in food and drink at schools, by making these choices more visible, easier and more appealing.

“Together with all the partners in its network, JOGG is making the environments where children spend a lot of time healthier. The school environment is naturally part of this. I am therefore delighted that 35 parties to the agreement are already taking responsibility. They are precisely the parties that can make the food and drink options at schools healthier. A healthy future begins with a healthy childhood, and to achieve this we need everyone who can make a difference,” says Marjon Bachra, Managing Director of JOGG.

Gerda Feunekes, Director of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, endorses this: “If we want young people to live and grow up healthier, it is important that they can also eat and drink healthily at school. After all, that is where they spend a large part of their time. That is why we have drawn up guidelines so that all secondary schools and secondary vocational schools can make their cafeterias healthy. The fact that so many parties are joining the renewed agreement shows that young people’s health is high on the agenda of parties that influence what young people eat.”

JOGG

The Healthy Nutrition at Schools Agreement is an initiative of JOGG and focuses on all individual schools in secondary education and secondary vocational education. Participants in the agreement ensure—directly as caterers or indirectly as suppliers—that the range of food and drinks at schools meets at least the ‘Silver’ level in accordance with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s Guidelines. At Silver level, at least 60% of the range consists of healthier sandwiches, fruit, salads and other healthier products. Drinking water is always available. It is especially easy for students to make a healthier choice, because these products are placed at the front and in the most attractive locations. In addition, participants aim to achieve ‘Gold’ level at half of the schools where they provide food and drink options. They are also jointly exploring how the food environment in the vicinity of schools can be made healthier.

Participants in the Healthy Nutrition at Schools Agreement 2021–2025

5th Season Fruit, Aqua Chain, Bazqet, Bright Trade, Cater Concept, Catermaat, Charlie’s Organics, Cirfood, Coca-Cola, CSM Bakery Solutions, Farmer Brothers, Food2Smile, Fruitfunk, Greenco Packing BV, Join The Pipe, Koninklijke Peijnenburg, KRNWTR, Langerak de Jong, Level Up Catering, Markies Catering, Mars Nederland, MERKKwater, Ological, Oranka Vruchtensappen BV, Sligro, SoPure, Spadel Nederland, Sprankle, St. Dat Lust Ik Wel, Stapfoods, Van Leeuwen Catering, Vending@Work, Vital4Skool, Waterlogic and WDM Schoolcatering.