Food for thaw-t

Lumpy custard, soggy semolina, prunes and corrugated chips - the image of school dinners is legendary.

Not all of us liked them, except perhaps for the stodgy puddings, but they were certainly an irreplaceable part of school life.

But now a culinary revolution is poised to hit schools across the county.

Many school kitchens as we know them - with food being freshly prepared by cooks on the premises - are to be axed.

The real question now is, what will be in their place?

It had originally been agreed that the 93 uneconomic school kitchens were to be replaced with so-called serveries which would dish out hot meals shipped in from other central kitchens.

But concerns have emerged over the possible health and safety risks, and the presentation of food when it eventually reaches children.

Now, thanks to the advances of catering technology, another culinary option is on the menu for Oxfordshire - the so-called regenerated meal.

The term itself may not sound very appetising but this is the option being favoured by both councillors and education officers as the way ahead for school dinners in Oxfordshire. The regenerated meal consists of meals being cooked and immediately frozen fom hot by suppliers.

The frozen meals are then delivered direct to schools in chilled containers, placed in freezers on the school premises and then heated up on special regeneration trolleys when required.

If Oxfordshire councillors and headteachers are impressed with the fare dished up during a fact finding visit to Coventry, where regenerated meals are already being served, a total of 30 schools could be converted in September.

And if they tempt the tastebuds of Oxfordshire kids, regenerated meals could then be extended to another 63 school in the county.

According to nutritionist Helen Lloyd, of Oxford Community Health NHS Trust, the frozen meals were likely to have the same nutritional advantages as fresh food.

She said: "It's probably no worse if it's served as soon as possible after heating. There's no real difference between fresh and frozen meals. A lot of hospitals use the cook-chill system as it reduces wastage."

She said that the frozen meals could have advantages over food which had been cooked and held for some time in heated containers, as overcooked food loses many of its nutrients.

But she added that care should be taken to ensure that the meal was balanced.

She said: "I would look at trying to increase fruit and vegetables and trying to and to look at the fat content of meals."

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