HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds will be injected into primary school meals across County Durham later this year to ensure the standard of food served to pupils continues to improve.

In September, Durham County Council will invest £300,000 into the school meals programme to provide more fresh fruit and vegetables and a greater choice of home-cooked meals.

The council has also agreed a two-year contract extension with Scolarest, its schools meals provider, to provide healthier option menus to 238 primary schools across the region.

Scolarest, who has been providing catering services to Durham schools since 1994, promotes the removal of salt during cooking, reducing fat and sugar content and the use of healthier cooking methods such as oven baking, steaming and grilling.

The company also works with suppliers to reduce the salt content of processed foods and introduce healthier vending machines in secondary school selling flavoured waters, fruit juices and healthier snacks into schools.

Councillor John Dormer, who has chaired a six-month review of school meals provision in County Durham by the authority's overview and scrutiny committee, said: "I think school meals is a national issue.

"Nationally, we have almost certainly gone for a cheap option and have ended up with processed foods.

"We need to get away from that and get back to the more traditional foods we prefer.

"While school meals are only part of the agenda to improve health, there is no doubt that they are an important part of the foundations for the future well-being of County Durham residents."