Compulsory School Dinners and GMO ... a concerned UK Parent

I thought I'd share a theory I have (some may say this is just a coincidence)...

As you may or may not have heard our illustrious PM David Cameroon went on record stating that we (the UK) should "Rethink our stance on GMO". Currently AFAIK the UK only feeds (non-organically farmed) live stock GMO Feed...

www.telegraph.co.uk...

The Prime Minister said he wanted to foster a “pro-science culture” in the UK, and this started with a shift in Britain’s attitude towards so-called GM food, dubbed "Frankenstein food" by its critics.
The comments come ahead of a major speech by Environment secretary Owen Paterson on Thursday next week which is set to signal a change in GM policy.

The above happened back in June and a little while after (less than a month to be precise) I heard on the radio that Cameroon is now pushing for free school dinners. I think this is potentially a good thing, especially for those families who either cannot afford or do not have the inclination to provide their children wholesome packed lunches BUT I have read they are debating BANNING packed lunches from schools and making school dinners compulsory.

Now, is it just me or does the timing of all this seem a little suspect? Schools have very limited budgets and will most likely source food that is of sufficient quality but at the lowest possible price point - the government could argue that GMO is a more cost effective option and use it as a stage to introduce regular GMO consumption OR could slip it into the food chain without us evening knowing (compulsory labelling bill anyone?)

ATS - what are your thoughts on this? Am I worrying too much as a parent - should I just let my kids consume the usual fruitshoots/colourings and aspartame sweets most other parents do? Since there's so much controversy surrounding GMO I'm of the mindset 'there's on smoke without fire'.

BAN packed lunches, head teachers urged

Banning packed lunches and free school dinners

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, mods please feel free to move it!

It's not that GMO or science is inherently bad, it's that the giants that are on the forefront are well known for suppressing (failing to disclose) their own scientific conclusions that would jeopardize their products viability in the marketplace. Sadly.

That being said, even before GMOs many parents thought of "TV Dinners" as a swear word. Fresh cooked food, as little processing as possible, etc… is good to serve to your kids as often as possible. If not for health reasons then simply to encourage a family unit.

reply to post by boxertwin


We never know what tentacles that Monsanto wraps around governments through their leaders.

But I would say that you are overlooking the critical fact that in the UK as the US, the middle class is constant growing poorer and must have outside help to decently survive. Being the UK is a socialist state, I'm not surprised at Cameron's remarks, right in keeping with the trends here and there. Obama will be touting the same before long. Actually, we have a lot of programs for years that provide breakfast, lunch and even after school snacks for kids that stay after school in special programs.

reply to post by Aliensun


I'm European and I would hardly classify the UK as a socialist state (note that for the American public all of Europe is mostly socialist). European fight to obtain social benefits (justice) to the lower classes right after Industrialization something that was never replicated in the US. With it came the Unions of workers something that was largely subverted in the US and suppressed in the UK so realities are not the same. Note also that most of South Europe (including France) risked going communist after the end of WW2, before the US (CIA, NATO, Marshall Plan) decided that they wouldn't like that and worked to secure the right governments for their world view (something that the UK was exempted of).

As an EU European, socialism is what they have in Sweden, and I do like it... Most of us have various levels of Center/Right governments with social considerations and that oversee states with various degrees of social preoccupations I wouldn't classify most of them as socialist governments (especially now that there is a general decline of the social state everywhere).

reply to post by boncho


Careful Boncho, with posts like that your "Shill Master" status is going to be revoked.

reply to post by boxertwin


Chances are GMO's are already in schools without anyone truly knowing.

I'm sure MP Danny Alexander once commented on TV that GMO's are most likely in British food chains without governments real knowledge of them, I cannot find his comments on the web because I'm useless but I'm pretty sure it was him.

If anyone can find that video I would be very appreciative.

Anyway I believe compulsory meals in schools is wrong regardless of if the food is genetically modified... wouldn't that be almost counted as forced feeding? or worse forced starvation of kids who refuse to eat shoddy school meals?

Good luck trying to tell a parent that you know what is best for them whether your an MP or a teacher.

Free school meals I'm all behind, some kids could really do with such a benefit. It should be set how much can be spent though, because I can imagine some better off schools truly taking the urine out of it. School budgets is another one of those governmental created monopolies unfortunately.

reply to post by RAY1990


Thank you all for commenting. My issue isn't with the free dinners, I think this is a good idea - my issue is with the prospect of them becoming mandatory. This being announced less than a month after the push to change UK policy on GMO.

As it currently stands we're governed by EU policies so there's not much that Cameron can do apart from leave the EU, which I know isn't on the agenda with the Con-Lib coalition. Cue UKIP - the UK independent party are currently increasing in popularity and I see it everyday on social media shares and forum posts. People are still fixed on the "Immigration issue" and UKIP are the ones who will put this straight as well as keeping the £ and preventing us from joining the sinking EU economy - if people were to dig a bit deeper and look at how they plan on opening trade with NAFTA, combined with leaving the EU - this sets the stage perfectly for mass GMO introduction through open trade with America and removing the control of EU policies.

It's like I can see it all happening before my eyes and everyone else either doesn't care or is completely ignorant to it!

Sucks to live in the UK, then.

You need to find a school where the teachers have enough bottle to stand up for what's right. If I was on staff at a school where they'd banned lunches from home, I'd call it for the BS it is. I have a real problem with this left eye of mine - sometimes I can't see a thing out of it

You Brits, and I say this with love, so please don't think I'm being unkind, need to start claiming back your rights, because the only rights you ever get to keep are the ones you stand up and defend. And if you aren't going to claim back your rights, why the hell did you fight Hitler?

reply to post by SgtBenton

I agree, we really do - but the majority don't care what happens outside of their bubble. IN the meantime, our rights and liberties are slowly eroded away. To be honest it's the same in the USA, in most countries - I've read New Zealand has the highest levels of freedoms in the world - and they're government isn't perfect. I think we need to stop polarising and comparing, this one-upmanship is just damaging the cause and distracting us all from the bigger picture (which is a global one, we're all on this mud ball together and it's about time we all stopped flag waving and differentiating from one another just because we happened to be born on a different piece of land)

The school lunches thing has gone quiet now but they've recently introduced a substantial fine for parents who take kids out of school for holiday - this is an affront to basic human rights and will alienate poorer parents who can't afford to pay the term time holiday tax (places literally double in price during those periods) and it also affects medium sized businesses who rely on out of term holiday trade and who will lose a lot of their workforce in a small 6 week window during the summer term. I was told I was "unauthorised" to take my son out of school to the museum - he'll only miss one lesson of basic phonics and I feel a day out with his family to the London museums outside of the hectic peak periods would be far more beneficial and educational (last time we went we had to queue for over an hour just to get in, missed half the exhibits and were rushed).

Also Michael Gove (UK Secretary of State for Education, and an absolute disassociated, ill-informed muppet) has stated he'd like to see children in school for 10 hours a day. I'll take my kids out of school if that every came to pass!

Rant over!