Concerns at number of fast food shops next to NI schools spelled out
New research has discovered that nearly one in five (17%) secondary schools in Northern Ireland have five or more fast food outlets within a 400m radius.
The figures were published today in a Food Standards Agency study called 'The Availability of Fast Food Outlets and Grocery Retailers in Northern Ireland and Their Distance From Secondary Schools'.
The research found that in Northern Ireland, on average, there are an average of 2.2 fast food outlets within a 400m radius of a secondary school.
One in five schools have five or more outlets within the same radius.
There's also an average 0.8 grocery retailers within a 400m radius of secondary schools in Northern Ireland.
Weekend News Catchup - 16th June 2025
Some 50% of schools have no fast food outlets within a 400m radius while 56% of schools have no grocery retailers within that radius.
Of the secondary schools with no grocery retailers within 400m, 20% have at least one fast food outlet inside that distance.
Across Northern Ireland, there are approximately 2.5 times as many secondary schools with one or more fast food outlets in the most deprived areas compared to the least; and around three times as many secondary schools with one or more grocery retailers in the most deprived areas compared to the least.
FSA Head of Science and Surveillance Naomi Davidson, a contributing author to the report, said the research can help the FSA's work in improving children's meals outside the home.
'We know from the Health Inequalities Annual Report that an average of 5.6% of Year 8 pupils in Northern Ireland live with obesity, with a higher proportion observed in the most deprived areas,' she said.
'We also know from research in England there are more fast food outlets in highly deprived areas.'
Explaining the implications of the research, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency said: 'Healthy food for our children at school is important to support their day to day learning, but it is also a formative period of their life to develop healthy habits for life.
'Understanding the food environments close to schools can help develop policies to increase the likelihood of children having nutritious food during the school day.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
13 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
How are food hygiene ratings scored? Official explains
All premises selling and preparing food in Wales are required by law to display the distinctive black and green stickers showing a score from the lowest one to highest rating five in a prominent place such as the door or window. Inspections are carried out by council employed environmental heath officers working to advice and guidance from the Food Standards Agency that works across Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Businesses are categorised as 'high risk' and 'low risk' premises depending on the type of business and the work they do. Within the high risk category there are a further three categories, A, B and C, based on their operations. Alun Thomas, the principal environmental heath officer, who leads Monmouthshire County Council's commercial team, told councillors a butcher's shop is a 'good example' of high risk premises. He said: 'A manufacturer making pies tend to be put in the highest risk but how wide they distribute, how many customers they sell to is considered. Do they handle raw food and ready to eat? A butcher's shop is a good example, as the risk goes up with the risk of cross contamination so for example they could be preparing raw meat and selling cooked ham.' Manufacturers are in category A of the high risk premises, butcher's shops in category B and pubs and restaurants in category C. Businesses in category A have a full statutory inspection every six months while those in category B are inspected every 12 months but full inspection visits to those in category C, if they are generally doing well, will only be made every 18 months. As well as how food is handled and prepared inspectors will look at the structure of buildings such as ventilation, lighting, how easily they can be cleaned and pest control which is all fed into a risk assessment with how well they are managed and compliance being 'crucial'. 'Out of that risk assessment comes the food hygiene rating, the score on the door',' said Mr Thomas: 'Those three elements, the management, the structure, the hygiene you find on the visit that's what then feeds into the food hygiene rating.' But Mr Thomas said 'it doesn't always correlate' highest risk premises have the highest scores: 'Generally higher risk premises have more to comply with so it's harder for them to achieve the top score, five.' Mr Thomas said Monmouthshire has a 'very high rating for broadly compliant premises' of 96.1 per cent of those with scores of three, four or five 'which tends to mean we go there, give them some advice, guidance and help and then leave them alone to get on with it until the next visit.' The risk assessments also dictate how often environmental heath have to go back to individual premises. READ MORE: During the Covid pandemic food hygiene inspections couldn't take place and councils had recovery plans to catch up on inspections. Mr Thomas said the council had to get 'back on track' with the higher risk category by the end of March 2023 but had a backlog on lower risk premises such as shops and village halls. It used funding from Gwent's Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to employ an additional officer to deal with that backlog and Mr Thomas said: 'She rattled through the lower risk premises and got that backlog down to manageable levels.' According to the Food Standards Agency a 5 means 'hygiene standards are very good'; 4 is 'hygiene standards are good' and 3 is 'hygiene standards are generally satisfactory'. A 2 means 'some improvement is necessary' with 1 meaning 'major improvement is necessary' and 0 is 'urgent improvement is required'. Monmouthshire's environmental health department is currently preparing for an audit by the Food Standards Agency.
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Concerns at number of fast food shops next to NI schools spelled out
New research has discovered that nearly one in five (17%) secondary schools in Northern Ireland have five or more fast food outlets within a 400m radius. The figures were published today in a Food Standards Agency study called 'The Availability of Fast Food Outlets and Grocery Retailers in Northern Ireland and Their Distance From Secondary Schools'. The research found that in Northern Ireland, on average, there are an average of 2.2 fast food outlets within a 400m radius of a secondary school. One in five schools have five or more outlets within the same radius. There's also an average 0.8 grocery retailers within a 400m radius of secondary schools in Northern Ireland. Weekend News Catchup - 16th June 2025 Some 50% of schools have no fast food outlets within a 400m radius while 56% of schools have no grocery retailers within that radius. Of the secondary schools with no grocery retailers within 400m, 20% have at least one fast food outlet inside that distance. Across Northern Ireland, there are approximately 2.5 times as many secondary schools with one or more fast food outlets in the most deprived areas compared to the least; and around three times as many secondary schools with one or more grocery retailers in the most deprived areas compared to the least. FSA Head of Science and Surveillance Naomi Davidson, a contributing author to the report, said the research can help the FSA's work in improving children's meals outside the home. 'We know from the Health Inequalities Annual Report that an average of 5.6% of Year 8 pupils in Northern Ireland live with obesity, with a higher proportion observed in the most deprived areas,' she said. 'We also know from research in England there are more fast food outlets in highly deprived areas.' Explaining the implications of the research, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency said: 'Healthy food for our children at school is important to support their day to day learning, but it is also a formative period of their life to develop healthy habits for life. 'Understanding the food environments close to schools can help develop policies to increase the likelihood of children having nutritious food during the school day.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Iconic US candy eaten by millions banned in UK over fears of cancer-causing ingredients
Health officials in the UK have taken Jolly Ranchers off shelves over fears of cancer-causing ingredients. UK-based watchdog Food Standards Agency said affected candies, made by Hershey, include Jolly Rancher Hard Candy, Jolly Rancher Misfits Gummies, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1 and Jolly Rancher Berry Gummies. The candies were banned for containing mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) and mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH), petroleum-based additives that usually enter foods from processing equipment. They're most often found in vegetable oils, candy, chips, cereals, canned fish and baby food. Both substances are prohibited in UK food production over fears they can accumulate in the liver and lymphatic system, damaging DNA and increasing the risk of cancer. All of the Jolly Rancher products now banned in the UK contain mineral oils in their US versions. The products also lead the US hard candy market with $160million in sales every year. Hershey told UK regulators it has taken action to remove affected brands from British markets. However, there are no restrictions against these additives in the US. Jolly Rancher products in the US also contain artificial colors like Red 40, Yellows 5 and 6 and Blue 1, which are all prohibited in the UK due to links to hyperactivity, migraines and cancer. The FSA said after the ban was announced Wednesday in the UK: 'Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat them regularly.' The agency said while 'there should be no immediate casue for concern' for UK customers who have eaten the affected products, they should not continue to buy them. A Hershey spokesperson told USA Today Thursday that its products are 'safe to enjoy' and that because it is a global brand, customers can sometimes purchase products in markets other than those where they were produced. In this case, even though Hershey is American, its products have found their way to the UK. The spokesperson said: 'In such cases, we cannot guarantee that the products meet the regulatory requirements of the end market, which may differ from those of the US. 'We encourage consumers to purchase all Hershey products from established retailers to ensure product integrity and compliance. 'In the meantime, we're continuing to work closely with the FSA in the United Kingdom on these important issues and look forward to bringing Jolly Rancher products back to established retailers soon.' US health officials have not issued any guidance for American consumers. MOAH are considered genotoxic carcinogens, meaning they can induce cancers by directly attacking DNA, even at low levels. This increases the risk of healthy cells mutating into cancer cells. Some types of MOSH, meanwhile, have been shown to accumulate in the liver and lymphatic system, based on animal studies. However, it's unclear if similar effects can be seen in humans. All of the Jolly Rancher products included in the ban also include artificial food dyes like Red 40, Yellows 5 and 6 and Blue 1. Despite being prohibited in the UK, these are allowed in the US. However, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced plans to outlaw the colors. All of these dyes have been linked to hyperactivity, migraines and some forms of cancer.
