Auditor-General Issues Warning over Government's School Lunch Scheme

Auditor-General questions if preschool lunch contract was ‘predetermined’

Officials were concerned about the process that awarded KidsCan a no-bid contract to supply food to early childhood education centres.

Warning over school lunch scheme

An Otahuhu College student holds an example of a school lunch in January last year. Photo: RNZ Russell Palmer of RNZ Alarm bells are ringing over the coalition's school lunch programme, with the Auditor-General warning the government has not been able to clearly show the scheme is delivering its aims.

Auditor-General issues warning over government's school lunch scheme

Alarm bells are ringing over the coalition's school lunch programme, with the Auditor-General warning the government has not been able to clearly show the scheme is delivering its aims.

Up to 20,000 school lunches wasted daily, nearly half of meals fail nutrition standards, report finds

Just over 50% of lunches in the government’s free school lunch programme met nutritional standards in 2025, while up to 20,000 are being returned, uneaten, every day, according to a new Audit Office report.

School lunches inquiry finds long list of failures

It’s saving money. But that’s about it.