FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Schools go low additive
Please let
us know of any other schools that deserve to be on this low-additive honour
roll. As you can see, the results speak for themselves.
2005 -
2005 –
2004 - Acton Primary School,
Burnie, Tasmania, Australia – makes an additive code-breaker card and a list of
additive-free supermarket products available for students and parents and
overhauls the canteen to ensure all its food is free of 50 additives including
the bread preservative calcium propionate (282) – school principal Kay Foster -
staff has already noticed a great improvement in the behaviour of Acton
students, ‘suspensions are well down this year and many of our challenging
children have settled to good learning habits in the classroom’ - Acton school
adopts additive-free food policy, Gill Vowles, The
Advocate, 8/10/2004, http://ta.harrisgroup.com.au/news.cgi?type=1&id=142181
2004 - Rosemeadow Public
School, NSW, Australia - removed preservatives, coloured cordials and fizzy
soft drinks and encouraged children to drink water or milk – school principal
Michael Young - within six weeks, there was a ‘40 to 60% drop in certain types
of behaviour that children were exhibiting in the classroom, and an increase of
30 to 40% in the length of time they could concentrate on a task’ -
Undernourished, Catalyst, 25/3/2004, http://www.abc.net.ay/catalyst/stores/s1073786.htm
2004 - Appleton
Central Alternative School, Wisconsin, USA – a five year trial replacing junk
food by bottled water, fresh juice and healthy preservative-free cafeteria
meals and snacks – Superintendent Dr Thomas Scullen –
student suicides, high drop-out rates, expulsions and drug abuse have dropped
to almost zero, ‘thought that the experiment would settle the kids down, which
it has done, but we were surprised at the result it had on academic learning’, the
entire Appleton school district will convert to healthy food options this
summer – http://www.ecureme.com/enews/DB053688.asp
and a 14 minute video that explains the entire program is available for $10,
contact Barbara.Stitt@NaturalOvens.com
2003 – The Dingle School, Haslington,
Cheshire, UK an entire class of
6-year-olds was asked to avoid additive-free food (39 additives) at home and at
school for two weeks the trial was monitored by Professor Jim Stevenson from
Southampton University and filmed by ITV ‘ 57 per cent of parents reported an
improvement in their child's behaviour and 56 per cent recorded better sleep
patterns and cooperation’ - www.spcottawa.on.ca/ofsc/food_additives.html
2002 - Barnabas
school in Drakes Broughton, Worcestershire, UK banned 27 additives from its
school meals – head teacher Charlie Lupton - after two weeks staff noticed a
marked improvement in pupils’ behaviour, ‘more than 30% of parents noticed
their children were better behaved during the trial and 18% said their children
were sleeping better’ - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2497133.stm
2002 - New End
Primary School in Hampstead, UK – banned children from bringing in sweets,
crisps, chocolate, fruit bars, fruit juices and fizzy drinks in their lunch
boxes – head teacher Pam Fitzpatrick – children noticeably better behaviour,
‘much calmer in the afternoons’ - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2404169.stm
2002 - Charles Burrell School in Thetford,
Norfolk, UK - replaced fizzy drink machines with water fountains – Claire
Barker, the school’s literacy and learning co-ordinator - the water-only policy
is helping pupils to concentrate and improving their academic performance - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/educaton/1846532.stm
2002 - Mason Moor Primary School in Millbrook, UK –
pupils given their own water bottles to keep on their desks – head teacher Sue
Nicholson – ‘children are beginning to appear quieter and calmer and much
better able to concentrate’ - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/educaton/1846532.stm
2001 - Tywardreath School in
Cornwall, UK – banned 23 additives from school lunches during one week in
November – head teachers Gordon Walker – fewer detentions and children calmer -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1689566.stm
2001 - Woodchurch Road
primary school near Birkenhead, Wirral, UK – providing free bottles of drinking
water ‘instead of drinking fizzy pop’ – teachers reported that ‘children became
more alert with longer attention spans’ – the Merseyside Health Action Zone is
to extend the ‘water is cool in school’ scheme to 700 other schools in the area
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1562367.stm
2000 - Corstophine School,
Edinburgh – encouraging the use of water bottles – assistant head Carol Wood –
test results improving to the extent that they have already exceeded targets
set for two years ahead - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/728017.stm
2000 - Seaford College, West Sussex, UK – tuckshop
switched from sweets and fizzy drinks to mainly cereal bars, sparkling fruit
drinks and fresh rolls - headmaster Toby Mullins – after 3 weeks, anecdotal evidence was that
classrooms were calmer - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/946735.stm
1998 - Wolney Junior school
in New Addington, South London, UK – a year-long additive-free trial in the
tuckshop in 1996 was followed by a ban on unhealthy snacks which were replaced
by fruit – head teacher Paul Winder -
two years on concentration levels and behaviour have improved, the
success rate in external exams for 11 year olds almost tripled and the school
won praise as one of the most improved in Greater London. Its Key Stage Two
test results in English, which were less than half the national average in 1996
with 23 per cent of pupils achieving
expected levels, leapt to a 64% rate in 1998 - School leaps up the leagues
table by Susie Steiner, The London Times, Thursday 20th May 99, News page 7.
1999 Waimea College, Nelson, NZ 18 year policy of
providing healthy food; wholemeal bread and muffins baked every day; no lollies, cola or deep fried foods; only water, milk or
fruit juice for drinks. Melanie Dicks-Drewery,
School canteens: just what's on the menu for our children, Healthy Options
magazine, March/April 1999, p60-63.
1998 - Whitehorse Manor School, in Croydon, UK, banned
its tuck shop in 1994 and introduced fruit and muesli bars in 1998 - Key Stage
Two test results have improved significantly across English, mathematics and
science over the past three years - School
leaps up the leagues table by Susie Steiner, The London Times, Thursday 20th
May 99, News page 7.
1986 – trial of a low additive policy in 803 schools
in New York, USA – artificial colours, two preservatives (BHA and BHT) and
sugar removed from school breakfasts and lunches over a period of 4 years –
researcher Dr Stephen Schoenthaler - associated with
a nearly 16% increase in academic ranking compared to the rest of the nation's
schools and a significant decline in learning disabled children, from 12% to 5%
- Schoenthaler SJ and others. The impact of a low food additive and sucrose diet on academic
performance in 803
1979 Taupo Intermediate school, NZ - banned artificial colours
and flavours. The principal noticed a marked reduction in entries in the misdemeanours book where he recorded incidents of bad
behaviour. Children were asked how they felt after the change. Typical comments
included 'I feel so much better now'; 'I don't get angry inside any more'; 'I
don't get those awful noises in the head any more'. Melanie Dicks-Drewery, School canteens: just what's on the menu for our
children, Healthy Options magazine, March/April 1999, p60-63.
www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of
© Sue Dengate update
18 July 2006
