SWINDON'S school children are set to enjoy a better standard of school meal.

Government plans to introduce new minimum nutrition standards for school dinners mean that by September junk food should be well and truly off the menu.

Out go low-quality meat products such as the infamous Turkey Twizzlers, fizzy drinks, crisps and chocolate and in are two portions fruit and veg with every meal, as well as high quality meat, poultry and oily fish.

Schools will also end sales of confectionery and fizzy drinks in vending machines and tuck shops.

The new standards, which have been published by Education Secretary Alan Johnson, will improve the quality of food in schools and undo what the Government calls decades of neglect in school meals provision.

They are the result of more than a year's work and have been widely consulted on with professional associations, dietitians, health charities and food and drink organisations.

South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said: "Eating healthy food has been shown to help children concentrate and it's one of the most important things we can all do to improve our health in the long term.

"I'm delighted that we are making sure that healthy habits start in school and backing up parents who want to give their kids a good start."

Some Swindon schools have already embarked on a more healthy school dinners regime, and recent figures show that more than three-quarters of the town's schools have been awarded flagship Government healthy school status one of the highest proportions in the country.

Let's Do Lunch, the organic school meal company run by mums Pam Shipperbottom and Laura Illsley, launched in May 2004 and is now providing organic school dinners to pupils at Lawn, Lethbridge and King William Street primary schools.

Steve Hobbs, the headteacher at Pinehurst Junior School, said: "I've not had time to fully read up on the new standards yet, but our school meals are provided by Signet catering and we would expect them to adhere to the new standards.

"I do think they are a good idea, provided they can be funded in the right way."

Factfile

FROM September the new food-based standards will ensure that:

  • School lunches are free from low quality meat products, fizzy drinks, crisps and chocolate or other confectionery.
  • High quality meat, poultry or oily fish is available on a regular basis
  • Pupils are served a minimum of two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal
  • Any deep-fried items are restricted to no more than two portions in a week.