AS Education Secretary Ruth Kelly announced plans to outlaw junk food in schools, more than 100 cooks celebrated raising meal standards.

The school cooks in County Durham passed a nutrition and diet qualification.

The cooks, who work for catering company Scolarest, earned the NCFC intermediate certificate in nutrition and health covering topics such as food groups, healthy diets and food preparation methods, the nutritional needs of different age groups, special dietary requirements and issues such as food labelling and additives.

They achieved their qualification after a distance learning course supported by Bishop Auckland College tutors.

Alison Hughes, Scolarest's operations executive in the county, said: "Our catering staff play a key role in helping pupils choose healthy, balanced meals.

"The new qualification has been designed to support the important work they do, as well as helping them extend their nutritional knowledge."

Another 80 Scolarest cooks are due to start studying for the qualification soon.