Suppliers

Responding to Staff Shortages due to COVID

– SUPPLIER FAQs

As a supplier to the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme it is important to know what to do considering the effect the COVID pandemic is still having on the workforce. You should have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place that outlines how you will respond to workforce supply issues and any future school closures.

What does my BCP need to include?

A BCP template was sent out to you in February 2022. This can be used as a guide and highlights scenarios you should consider. A BCP template is available on the Ministry of Education website if you need.

What do I do if I have staff out due to COVID?

You will need to include in your BCP how you will operate with reduced staff numbers. This could include the use of alternative kitchen facilities if employees at a particular site contract the virus.

For example, if you have several kitchens, you may have the ability to move production if needed. Where your workforce is not able to operate, an alternative supplier should be arranged where possible.

What do I do if there are no alternative suppliers available?

In the first instance, let your school/kura know and the school should contact their Senior Advisor to highlight their situation. You may want to consider suitable alternative from local business such as: • Supermarket • Local Bakery or Café • Long life shelf food

If you are unsure, contact your Senior Advisor. The school can purchase provisions and invoice the existing Supplier or the Ministry (depending on the agreed arrangements).

School Closures

A partial school closure could result from a high number of cases in the school/kura or in instances where the school/kura is unable to get relief for teachers who are unable to work due to COVID.

Are lunches still provided?

The intent of the programme is to provide students in participating schools and kura with a daily healthy lunch. If a school is partially closed onsite, suppliers are expected to continue to provide lunches to all students attending school as business as usual.

There are several ways you could consider redistributing lunches, for example, a community hub can be considered for students learning from home. In doing so, you will need to make sure you are following all public health guidance. This should be outlined in your BCP.

Surplus lunch/food management

Lunches will continue to be delivered to students who are attending on site. We expect you to work closely with your schools and kura around regularly providing updates on expected roll numbers.

What do we do with surplus lunches?

Where there is a sudden partial or full school closure, or a school fails to inform you of a significant drop in their roll, your BCPs (that have been agreed with the school or kura) will detail how you will redistribute prepared lunches.

What is our responsibility to manage surplus lunches?

The Ministry of Education encourages all suppliers to redistribute all prepared lunches and perishables through their own local networks, iwi and hapū, or through the New Zealand Food Network. H

A Great Lunch Can Be A Learning Experience

Alongside other core values, Schools and education providers are adding the importance of healthy food choices to their ethos.

Pioneering a balance between nutritionally beneficial food and food that students would readily eat, Libelle Group’s Eat Smart menu launched their no junk food stance back in 2018.

“Eating the correct school lunch is absolutely critical to student health and well-being,” noted Johannes Tietze, founder and CEO of Libelle Group.

“The Government initiative Ka Ora, Ka Ako (the name translates to being healthy and well to be in a good place to learn) recognises that regular, nutritious food is vital for children’s physical, mental and educational development.”

A healthy and nutritious lunch is vital to learning. So, what makes a great school lunch?

Children tend to eat what they know, and sometimes their likes can seem quite limited. Libelle’s role in a child’s learning-to-eat journey is to provide the food they should be eating in a calm and positive environment with minimal interference.

A Libelle lunch box is filled with a variety of nutrient dense, minimally processed whole foods to provide the macro and micronutrients that children and adolescents need to grow and learn. Macro nutrients provide calories for energy and maintain the body’s structure and systems. Micronutrients are the broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals that our brain uses to signal what to do and when to do it.

By offering a balanced meal with proteins, carbohydrates (wholegrains and/or starchy vegetables), healthy fats and plenty of vegetables and fruits, Libelle are not only providing these nutrients but role modelling what a great lunch should look like.

When provided with the right opportunities, children can be raised to be food literate, taking this knowledge with them throughout their life and into their shopping habits of the future.

A great lunch is also the social connections that we make when we eat together. Beyond the nutrition, what we eat provides connections to family, community and culture, and forms a bond with our natural environment.

LIBELLE’S TOP TIPS:

• Variety and colour - different coloured vegetables and fruits provide different minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. • Choose natural or minimally processed foods as much as possible. • Snacks DO NOT have to come in a packet!

Change your snack narrative and serve real food - fruit, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, butter beans (roasted), chickpeas, sweetcorn, cheese, pate, crackers, nut butters, seeds and nuts, avocado, granola, yoghurt, berries, dark chocolate, dried fruits, leftover chicken or salmon. A child sees food as food, it is our narrative that ‘teaches’ them that certain foods are for certain times. • Serving size: Commercially prepared or purchased food items, such as café purchased muffins, slices, sandwiches etc are often way too big for the average adult, let alone a small child. When serving a snack from a packet, remove the item from its packaging, halve or quarter it, and serve it alongside a piece of fruit, a couple of sticks of crunchy vegetables and some form of protein and/or healthy fat. H

FEEDING HUNGRY LEARNERS GREAT FOOD

Healthier food options for New Zealand’s hungry learners.

• Top quality, freshly made lunches for learners. • On-site or delivery service, tailored to suit you. • Professionally audited food control plan. • Trained, qualified, local staff. It’s simple: Our professionals feed hungry students, while education professionals feed hungry minds.