CONCERNS OVER THE origin of food being served up in school canteens has prompted Moray Council to take action over the suppliers they use.
Earlier this month the local authority was named as one that used Chicken being supplied from as far afield as Thailand.
While there was never a suggestion that the product was inferior or had failed to comply with food standards, catering service staff in the region decided to seek a supplier closer to home from the start of the new term.
This will, they have assured parents, ensure that chicken served up to hundreds of Moray schoolchildren every day will be drawn from British poultry.
A council spokesman said: “Our catering service prides itself in sourcing food supplies from local sources wherever possible and this latest switch is in line with that policy.
“All our meat products are already supplied by Fraser Brothers of Forres who also supply around half of all the chicken which is served up in our schools, with the remainder being provided by a national supplier.
“The situation now is that the butcher is sourcing all of our chicken from the UK. Although the costs involved are slightly higher, we feel comfortable using home-based suppliers and believe that parents will also be reassured by the provenance of the chicken supplies.”