BOSSES at City of York Council's Food and Safety Unit say it has been helping York become a healthy city.

The unit has been working with resources management colleagues and the main provider of school meals in the city - North Yorkshire County Caterers - to improve the healthiness of school menus.

"Following tests to gauge the level of salt and fat in the meals, new menus were introduced in primary schools at Easter," said a spokesman.

"They include more traditional favourites, such as meat and vegetables, and avoid highly processed food."

The unit will re-sample the new menus later this year to see just how much healthier the new menus are. Stuart Benson, the council's food and safety unit manager, said: "School meals are a hot topic at the moment, but council officers have been working with North Yorkshire County Caterers for some time as part of the council's promotion of healthy living.

"Our officers are also happy to provide talks to schools on nutrition, food labelling and food safety issues on request."

Updated: 12:40 Saturday, May 14, 2005