School caterers turn to processed foods as cost and supply issues bitev

School caterers are increasingly having to alter menus and rely on more processed ingredients due to continuing cost and supply pressures, a new survey has found.

Research from the LACA, which represents school caterers, found its members had on average experienced a rise of 30 per cent in the cost of food items since May.

The findings, from a survey of organisations providing services across 9,874 schools, also showed that supply issues were continuing in kitchens.

Ninety-one per cent said they were still experiencing food shortages and substitutions in September, while 60 per cent said the situation had not changed or worsened since May.