Students are more likely to achieve their learning potential when they’re given the best options for food and drinks. The Right Bite Food and Drink Supply Standards can help make sure your school is offering the best options for your students. The standards are detailed on this page, including how to implement them at your school.

When the Right Bite Food and Drink Supply Standards apply

The Right Bite Food and Drink Supply Standards aim to create a positive food environment for all students.

The standards are recommended as best practice for all public schools and out of school hours care. They should be applied to all food and drinks supplied or sold to students in the following settings:

• canteens onsite at primary and secondary schools
• food and drinks provided by an outsourced provider
• food and drink regularly supplied by a bakery, deli or take away outlet
• breakfast programs
• excursions and camps
• fundraising events and sports days
• classroom activities including celebrations
• rewards, incentives, gifts, prizes and giveaways
• out of school hours care (OSHC)
• vending machines.

Where the standards do not apply

The standards do not apply to:

• preschools and childrens centres
• food brought from home for personal consumption – see food and drinks at your child’s school.

Exemptions

Vocational Education Training (VET) courses, such as hospitality courses, are exempt from the limit on supply of coffee, cakes and pastries as these are made by students for educational purposes.

Food classification using the traffic light system

Schools can use the traffic light system (PDF 252 KB) to classify food and drinks according to their nutritional value.

Green category – best options

• Most  food and drink options should be green category food and drinks – aim for 60%.
• Offer and promote a variety of green category food and drinks.
• Display green category options in a prominent position.
• Water is the best drink option. Make sure that tap water is clean, safe, free, always available, and easy to access.

Amber category – choose carefully

• Limit amber category food and drinks supplied at schools to up to 40%.
• Offer smaller portions of amber food and drinks.

Red 1 category – limit to twice per term

• Red 1 food and drinks should not be sold or provided to students, except for up to twice per term as part of whole-school celebrations or fundraising events.
• Red 1 food and drinks should not be promoted or displayed.

Red 2 category – should not be supplied

• Red 2 food and drinks should not be supplied, provided, or sold.
• Red 2 food and drinks should not be promoted or displayed.

Check the food and drink you supply at school

Use the FoodChecker for South Australian schools to find out what foods are in each category.

Wellbeing SA has developed a traffic light classification system for food and drinks typically sold or provided in schools. Information about the categories are in their Food and Drink Classifications Guide for South Australian Schools.

Food and drink marketing

There should be no marketing of food and drinks in the red 1 or red 2 categories. This means you should not use:

• posters, flags or banners
• straw or serviette holders
• promotional stands or counter signs
• marketing on catering equipment such as fridges, freezers or product stands.

Food safety

Food safety practices should adhere to current food safety legislation and advice – see food safety for food and drink provided in schools.

Packaging, waste and disposal

Food and beverage packaging, food waste and its disposal should adhere to school environmental policies and South Australian single-use plastic legislation – see packaging and single-use plastics and food waste in schools.

Advice for canteens, OSHC, governing council, volunteers and teachers

See more specific information about the Right Bite Standards depending on your role at school:

• school canteens
• out of school hours care (OSHC) or vacation care services
• governing council members and event volunteers (for events and fundraisers where food is provided or sold)
• in the classroom.