LACA consultant Pat Fellows has submitted the organisation’s response to a consultation being carried out by the Department of Health called ‘The Next Steps for Nursery Milk’.

She says: “We believe that the provision of free milk to children under five in children’s settings is a very important universal benefit.

“The nutritional content of milk is rich in protein, calcium, and vitamins. In particular it contains vitamins B2, B6, and B12.

“It also contains folate and essential minerals such as iodine, phosphorus, and zinc. It is a food that makes a valuable contribution to young children’s diets.”

She said LACA accepted that there needed to be a financial saving in the nursery milk scheme.

“Of the options on the table, having consulted our members, we believe that capping the price that can be claimed for milk is the way forward.”

For the full response from LACA click on the link below.