UK meat industry bodies BPEX and EBLEX have issued calls for more Red Tractor assured produce to be served in schools. In response to a study conducted by the Countryside Alliance, which found many local authorities did not know where the food served to pupils came from, the two organisations have been promoting Red Tractor beef, lamb and pork.

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Food-service sector manager for BPEX, Tony Goodger, said, "We have been working for many years with the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) promoting Red Tractor Assured pork, beef and lamb to the school meals market."

The Countryside Alliance applied for Freedom of Information requests to 172 local education authorities in the UK and found that just 60 (35 per cent) know the country of origin of the food they source to serve in schools. Of those that did record where food is sourced from, in 2009/10 an average of 62 per cent of meat was British.

The industry groups said that, as well as benefiting pupils, buying British food would help to support British farmers and put public money back into the local economy. The Countryside Alliance said it wanted to see LEAs increasingly buying British meat due to its high "hygiene, nutritional and welfare standards."

Last month, farm animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming complained to the Advertising Standards Authority over assertions made by Assured Food Standards’ Red Tractor scheme. Compassion objected to advertisements which claimed Red Tractor meat was higher welfare, pointing out that the logo "generally only ensure compliance with minimum legislative requirements."

Sam Allen, of the Food for Life partnership, which promotes environmentally sustainable and higher welfare meals in schools, said that even more could be done to ensure youngsters receive better school meals. She said, "Over 410,000 Food for Life Catering Mark accredited school meals are served in England every day. The Food for Life Catering Mark provides a step-by-step route for caterers to serve freshly prepared meals, free from undesirable additives and better for animal welfare.

"The Food for Life Partnership is not only transforming school meals but also teaching young people where food comes from and how it's produced.  Pupils have the opportunity to take part in growing and cooking activities and visit a farm, empowering them to make informed food choices,"

Earlier this week, a coalition of public interest organisations revealed that a study conducted by them had shown the government’s new buying standards for food being served in prisons, government departments and parts of the military did not meet the environmental and ethical standards set by fast food chain McDonald’s.