New Bite Back research has found that 76% of secondary school menus analysed had at least one confirmed violation of the current School Food Standards while 72% of parents support government checks to make sure new standards are actually followed.

Crisps at break time. Chocolate on the menu. Sausage rolls and other processed meats being offered more often than the rules allow.

Young people have been telling us for years that too much of the food they are surrounded by at school isn't giving them what they need to learn and thrive.

Now, our latest research shows just how widespread the problem could be.

Among the menus analysed, AI flagged the following potential violations:

• 57% offering processed meat such as burgers, nuggets, sausages and goujons more often than permitted.
• 53% including non-permitted snacks.
• 37% offering hash browns as a standing breakfast or break option.
• 31% including confectionery, such as chocolate chips or coatings, as an ingredient in desserts or bakes.

Flagged menus were all reviewed by a human researcher. If one violation was confirmed, the menu was found to be non-compliant.

The result? 76% of the menus we analysed had at least one confirmed violation.

And we might not even be seeing the full picture.

42% of the menus we found didn't publish what was available at break time where many of the potential violations identified in our research occurred.

Young people have been telling us this for years

For Bite Back campaigner Carrera, 19, the findings reflect what young people experience every day.

“Young students have been saying for years that what appears on school menus often doesn’t give us the fuel we need to concentrate, learn and get through the school day.

“We are surrounded by unhealthy products every day, even in the spaces that are supposed to be helping us grow and thrive.

“The new standards are a real opportunity but the government needs to make sure they are actually followed.”

Parents want the Government to check the rules are being followed

Our research comes at a crucial moment for school food in England.

The Government is planning the biggest overhaul of the School Food Standards in over a decade, alongside the expansion of Free School Meals to children in households receiving Universal Credit.

But changing the standards is only part of the job.

New polling conducted by Public First on behalf of the School Food Review found 72% of parents support government measures to check whether the food served in their child's school meets the updated standards.

Parents also want the Government to go further on Free School Meals, with 80% supporting extending them to every primary school child and 78% supporting universal provision across both primary and secondary schools.

New rules need to have teeth

Right now, England has no formalised system for monitoring whether schools are complying with the School Food Standards.

That has to change.

A once-in-a-generation opportunity

The Government's proposed new School Food Standards could mean more fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses on school menus and tighter restrictions on high-sugar and other unhealthy food and drinks.

We welcome that progress.

But standards on paper won't change what young people eat at school unless they're followed in practice.

We're calling for the final School Food Standards to:

• Cover the whole school day, including breakfast and break times.
• Require complete and accessible school menus to be published online.
• Be backed by a properly resourced system of independent monitoring and enforcement.

This is an opportunity to transform school food for millions of young people.

Let's make sure we don't waste it.