SCHOOL caterers in York have reassured parents that new Government guidelines on school meals should not push up prices.

From September, poor quality burgers and sausages, sweets, chocolates and crisps will be taken off all school menus.

And from 2008, primary schools will also have to meet regulations concerning levels of iron, calcium and fat.

The standards, based on recommendations by the school meal review panel, follow a campaign by TV chef Jamie Oliver to improve the quality of school dinners.

Last year, the price of school meals in York's primary schools increased from £1.42 to £1.54. But North Yorkshire County Council catering service, which serves meals to 328 primary schools and 47 secondary schools across the county and in York, believed prices were not set to rocket.

Nick Postma, client catering manager for the county council, said: "We hope that the increased Government grant will enable us to meet the new nutritional standards without putting up the price of meals. However, there are other factors such as staff wage increases, which we have to take into account."

Andrew Calverley, head teacher at Park Grove Primary School, York, was also confident that the cost of school meals provided by the council's caterers was unlikely to increase.

He said: "I'm in no doubt that our meals already measure up to the new standards and so I wouldn't expect a huge price increase.

"It is important that all primary school children get a good quality meal and the new standards are a good idea. At Park Grove, we are fortunate that we already have a very good cook."

Mr Postma said: "We haven't served manufactured food for over a year, and in all our primary schools and most secondary schools we don't serve fizzy drinks, crisps and confectionary."

In April, at the request of parents, regionally-sourced fresh meat and higher quality premium sausages were also introduced to school menus in York.

Mr Postma said the council was also looking into buying nutritional analysis software, to make sure they were serving the right amount of calcium and iron in school meals.

But he warned against too much Government legislation. He said: "It is a big worry with secondary schools, that by introducing too many laws that say 'thou shalt not', rather than focusing on education, pupils will look to find other sources of getting these foods. A lot of head teachers are very conscious of this."

Following Jamie Oliver's campaign against turkey twizzlers and other processed foods served up elsewhere in Britain, York experienced a major slump in the take-up of school meals, but this trend has now been reversed.

Mr Postma said: "Uptake of school meals was down by eight per cent in July 2005. We have managed to close that gap, though still not as much as we would like.

"We are encouraging schools to invite parents to come in and try the meals for themselves and, hopefully, given time, parents will regain confidence in school dinners."

Updated: 12:46 Saturday, May 20, 2006