Mystery of food used in school meals

Two-thirds of Britain's schools do not know where the food in pupils' meals comes from, a study by the Countryside Alliance will say tomorrow.

Despite campaigns by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for schools to use more local produce, only 60 out of 172 Local Education Authorities – which procure food for schools – knew the country of origin of the food served.

Public support for buying school meals locally is high – a survey by YouGov reveals that 61 per cent of people say schools should buy British meat even if it costs more.

Alice Barnard, of the Countryside Alliance Foundation, said: "Too often, the public sector turns to foreign suppliers for cheap goods. But if more schools used local producers, they would be investing in higher-quality meals and help to keep their children healthy."