Primary schools will be banned from serving fruit juice in a bid to reduce children’s sugar intake, sparking a wave of backlash from diet experts.
Sugary drinks including fruit juice as well as low-calorie sweetened beverages will be forbidden in primary schools and replaced with water, milk and plain fermented milk drinks.
Under new government plans from next September, schools will no longer be allowed to serve deep-fried foods – and every meal must come with vegetables or salad.
More fibrous wholegrains and pulses such as lentils and chickpeas will also be required on menus alongside main meal options at least once a week.
But experts have warned that including fruit juice in the list of prohibited items risks demonising a useful source of vitamin C for growing bodies.
Registered nutritionist Rob Hobson told the Daily Mail that a small serving of fruit juice is ‘not concerning’ when it comes to the health of young children.
In fact, he added, ‘it counts as one of your five a day and provides useful nutrients including vitamin C, which the government does not acknowledge.
Dieticians have argued against government plans to ban fruit juice from primary schools
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‘I don’t think we need to demonise a 150ml serving of 100 per cent fruit juice and it definitely should not be viewed as “bad” by children.’
A small glass of fruit juice contains around three-and-a-half teaspoons of naturally occurring sugar – just under half of your recommended daily limit of free sugars that contribute to obesity and tooth decay.
When you eat a whole piece of fruit, the sugars are locked inside the plant’s cell walls, meaning the body digests it slowly, preventing dramatic spikes in blood sugar.
But when fruit is juiced the natural fibre is stripped away, and the sugar from the fruit enters the bloodstream rapidly.
However, campaigners say equating a sugary treat with that of a glass of orange juice is unscientific, given the important dose of vitamins and minerals offered by the latter.
The nutrient boost in juice is especially vital for those who miss out on fruit and vegetables, says Andy Bagnall, Director General of the British Soft Drinks Association.
‘Removing fruit juice from school menus is counterproductive,’ he says. ‘Just six per cent of children from low-income households meet their five-a-day, according to the Government’s own data.
‘This move risks making existing disparities in nutrition worse, not better.’
A 150ml portion of fruit juice counts towards five-a-day and provides calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and several B vitamins.
Mr Bagnall added that 17 per cent of children are deficient in vitamin C and 12 per cent are deficient in vitamin B9, otherwise known as folate.
‘Removing an accessible source of these nutrients risks making it harder for some children to achieve a healthier diet,’ he added.
Current NHS guidelines permit children from the age of five to have one glass of undiluted fruit juice or smoothies a day, served with meals.
Vitamin C is essential for children’s general health and immune systems. It can also help their body absorb iron, an essential nutrient that supports brain function, memory, concentration and learning abilities.
The updated rules for primary schools come into force in September 2027.
In secondary schools, juice will remain permitted initially, with a maximum of 150ml per day. From September 2028, a blanket ban will come into force.
The move forms part of a wider crackdown on childhood obesity, with children now eating more than three times the amount of sugar they should be at the age of seven.
More than four in ten children are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school, according to the National Child Measurement Programme.
Many of these will also be suffering from high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes or early signs of heart disease, usually developed in older age as a result of unhealthy lifestyles.
