Write to your MP about nursery food

We want the government to introduce clear rules for the quality of food served in all nurseries, like the rules now in place in primary and secondary schools.

If you agree with us and want to get involved with the campaign, you can write to your MP to tell them that the food served to our youngest children in nurseries matters to you and that you want to see strong regulation for nursery food.

Try to use your own words, but if you agree with the following points you can include them in your email or letter:

• The younger the child, the more vulnerable their health is to the effects of poor quality nutrition.
• Almost one in every four children start school already overweight or obese, meaning they are more likely to suffer from serious health problems like heart disease or diabetes later in life.
• The Government's own research shows that a quarter of our opportunities to prevent obesity occur when a child is at nursery.
• Existing regulation for nursery food is inadequate, and does not state what foods should or should not be served to under-fives in nursery.
• Evidence of the benefits of better school (see for example the School Food Trust research) food is accumulating: advanced concentration and ability to learn, better social skills and behaviour, improved physical health and increased wellbeing. While regulation has brought benefits for primary and secondary school children, nursery food has been left behind.
• We have a culture of inadequate inspection. Ofsted inspectors do not have to assess the quality of food on offer, but instead decide whether or not children can ‘make healthy choices’ about what to eat or drink. Is it acceptable that the responsibility for healthy food choice falls to children as young as two?
• The School Food Trust is currently reviewing standards for nursery food and is due to report in August. The Department of Children, Schools and Families should follow the recommendations of the Soil Association’s Better Nursery Food Now campaign and put in place mandatory standards for the quality of food served in all nurseries.
• Please take the time to read this short briefing on nursery food, Better Nursery Food Now: What we need and why we need it

Contact your MP using the following steps

1. First you need to know their name. If you don’t, you can find the name of your local MP by clicking on www.writetothem.com and entering your postcode.
2. On the following page, you can click on the name of your MP (in the third column) and email them by following the instructions on the Write to Them site.
3. If you’d prefer to email them yourself, most MPs can be contacted by using the following format of email address: secondnamefirstinitial@parliament.uk
   For instance, to email David Cameron you would use camerond@parliament.uk
4. That’s it! Please do let us know what response you receive, by emailing pbrunton@soilassociation.org
5. If you’d prefer you can send a letter to:
   
   ‘Local MP’s name’ MP (e.g. David Cameron MP)
   House of Commons
   London
   SW1A 0AA