Replies

• See response below from Civica regards suppliers free sugar data. I think we may have our first agenda item for when we meet on 9th March. Hi Gerry, I have checked with Lee Gibbs (Saffron Head of Service Delivery). He has had meetings with various suppliers, notably Bidfood/3663, who have an automated feed of product nutrients and allergens into Saffron. Unfortunately, the suppliers don’t seem to have any plans to gather data on Free Sugars in the products they sell. We are working to get the data added to the MW7 data set because we ‘feel responsible’ for that data because it comes as standard in any Saffron installation. We have paid for a consultant to do the work of gathering the data so that it can be added to the system. But unfortunately, we don’t have the resource or ability to do this with supplier’s data and we cannot force the suppliers to comply. The only thing that might compel them is pressure from their customers. The difficulty you have is that the standards are not changing in England and Wales, and so there won’t be pressure being applied from other other Local Authorities across the UK. Please let me know if you have any other questions on this matter. 
  11th February 2021

• Interesting to see Q9 in the updated NAM (p19) regards drinks labelled with “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. The answer provided doesn't say these are non-compliant but again says "must be carefully considered by each local authority".
  10th February 2021

• Hi Lorna, it's on the spreadsheet on the discussion board, first tab on the bottom: https://totalizemedia035.sharepoint.com/:x:/s/CompliantProductsGroup/Ef7utygCVtpIlu53vmp_2coBcD4IVIqo6XaU6C7jXtSMNA?e=t1y2yd
  10th February 2021

• Hi Lorna, given Brakes don't currently provide NMES data don't know how this will be possible. Goes back to the bigger questions for all of us using Saffron as to how and if we will be compliant in 8 weeks time.
  9th February 2021

• Thanks Jayne. Sorry for the pessimism but it looks unlikely that this will be done for us all before April so maybe worth having this discussion with them sooner rather than later? Regards the first users group meeting, 9th March is fine with me.
  9th February 2021

• Hi Liz, I received an email from Civica yesterday advising they are writing up the instructions how to move our ingredients from M&W v6 to v7 which will include the 'free sugar' data. I asked if this will also apply to supplier-provided nutritional data which doesn't use M&W data obviously and it doesn't appear that it will - said they would check and get back to me. This is potentially a big issue so will wait on the answer before I contact Brakes regards this. They also said that they are in the process of creating the new guidelines in the database which they will then link to our menus. Regards Brakes and the new live data link with saffron, I received an email from them yesterday advising they are currently testing and sent over the first files last week and it will be another couple of weeks before they complete testing and they go live which is good news.
  9th February 2021

• Hi Linsay, as I understand it, yes as it's only energy that has a daily energy tolerance.
  9th February 2021

• Nicky, I've updated the drinks database - where is the unsuccessful spec folder located?
  4th February 2021

• Drinks update - Lesley Kirkwood has confirmed that drinks containing any of the colours below and labelled ‘may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’ are not compliant.

  • E102 (tartrazine)
  • E104 (quinoline yellow)
  • E110 (sunset yellow FCF)
  • E122 (carmoisine)
  • E124 (ponceau 4R)
  • E129 (allura red)
  
  4th February 2021

• Drinks - I've been asked to check diet Irn Bru for compliance but I'm unsure whether we have to consider the 6 colours requiring the ‘may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’ labelling requirement as secondary school pupils were out with the scope of that study. I've asked Shirley Beattie the question and she will get back to me.
  3rd February 2021

• Thanks Jayne. LA's interested are: Aberdeenshire Argyll & Bute East Ayrshire East Renfrewshire Highland Scottish Borders South Ayrshire Stirling Tayside
  2nd February 2021

• Hi Tracey, thanks for your interest, will give us 9 LA's who are interested in forming the group which is great. You'll see from above that Jayne will speak to Andrew Pond at Civica to advise our interest in setting this up so we'll hopefully get things moving soon.
  2nd February 2021

• Can I ask if anyone will be using natural sweeteners e.g. stevia or agave syrup in bakery products to reduce the free-sugar levels given the advice in the draft HEiS guidance? Annex C: Advice on the use of sweeteners All intense and non-caloric sweeteners that are used in the UK and EU undergo a rigorous safety assessment by the European Food Safety authority (EFSA). While sweeteners are safe for consumption, their use in school food and drink should be carefully considered to ensure that we do not simply replace sugary products with sweetened products that continue to teach children’s and young people’s palates to expect sweet tasting food and drink and may lead to them making less healthy choices outside of school.
  27th January 2021

• Hi Jayne That would be great thanks, would get things moving. Further to Claire's comment (above), Civica have been really good in providing support in setting the new system up but see merit in a coordinated LA approach longer term with the changes now required in order to comply with the new regs being a good example.
  25th January 2021

• Hi Brid Great, hopefully others are also interested, especially those who have good experience of using it. I now have all my recipes in and will be starting on the nutritional analysis on Monday, should be interesting! Not the best time to be doing all this given the new regs but I'll get there. Gerry
  22nd January 2021