Feedback on the new school dinner menu has been ‘overwhelmingly positive and complimentary’, the Education Minister told a Tynwald committee.

Daphne Caine said the menu will be continue to be reviewed - and confirmed that mayonnaise was back as an option after children complained about having to eat dry tuna in a wrap or jacket potato.

A new menu was introduced for the start of term which features four times more fresh Manx produce, and a big cut in ultra-processed food. Puddings have been replaced by a selection of fruit and an optional glass of whole Manx milk.

But some parents claimed their kids were coming home hungry, and even ketchup and mayonnaise were not being offered as an option.

Giving evidence to Tynwald’s social affairs policy review committee, the Education Minister was quizzed over the complaints about children going hungry, with Tim Glover (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) pointing out that hungry kids don't learn as effectively.

Mrs Caine said she’d tried out the new school dinners herself three times that week.

She said: ‘The feedback about the main meal choices, the vegetarian or the meat or fish option, have been overwhelmingly positive and complimentary.

‘I have had feedback that some children are going hungry, and we know that in particularly the reception children take a little time even to get used to using a knife and fork.

‘But talking to the year fives and sixes in particular, they were very impressed with the 100% beef burger that was on the menu. They were full. They were welcoming.’

She added: ‘We have listened to feedback, and we've said we will continually review and revise the menus.

‘We have replaced the mayonnaise for those children who choose to have that either on the wrap or the potato with tuna, because that was very loud feedback that that was desirable.’

Mrs Caine said replacing sweet desserts with fruit not only reduced the amount of sugar but has had the positive impact on increasing the level of pupils’ concentration in class.

She said: ‘The feedback from parents was their child did not require an after-school snack because they were full until teatime, they hadn't had that sort of sugary high burn off.

‘It's been really welcome from the department's point of view, that so many people are supportive, particularly nutritionists and any medical professionals.

‘It’s early days. We will continue to revise the menus.

‘Hopefully we may win over a few more in time, even accepting that some children are struggling because of different food likes or having, especially over the summer, got used to being able to access food and snacks whenever.

‘It is a different culture to only have food at mealtimes.’

Mrs Caine was also asked about an incident in which one child with type 1 diabetes endured an entire afternoon of hypoglycaemia at school because accurate nutritional information had not been provided.

The Education Minister described this a ‘very unfortunate’ and apologised for the ‘communication blip’ relating to the information provided from the dietician.