A Kent firm which supplies primary schools in the county with dinners has backed the new meal guidelines, saying they are "a long time coming".

The measures not only specify the maximum amount of fat, salt and sugar primary school dinners can contain - but also set minimum standards for the amount of nutrients within the meals.

These guidelines - which are aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle as well as tackling obesity - are due to be extended to secondary schools next year.

See the guidelines in more detail >>>

The measures are the next step on from major changes in 2005, which saw foods high in fat, salt and sugar restricted or removed from menus.

Julia Hallett, operations manager at Whole School Meals based in Deal, said: "We've always nutritionally analysed our menus. We've looked at the food we are serving the children to make sure that everything we put on the plate, as far as possible, can be fresh local produce."

However, she added that the company has had to make some changes to its menus in light of the new measures. "I have had to take gammon off our menu, which is a child's favourite - it pushes the sodium levels way over the top.

"All of our recipes are put through a computerised nutritional analysis programme to make sure that they contain at least the minimum nutrients.

"It's more expensive to supply a good, locally-sourced meal for a child than it was two or three years ago - but it's what we as a company are all about."

Kent County Council have told KentOnline that most school meals can still be produced for £1.90 per pupil. In Medway it costs £1.85.

Mark Sleep, KCC's client services manager, said: "The actual cost of the food has increased - but we have managed to keep the prices down to within the Retail Price Index increase that we're allowed."

Although the new measures only came in this week, Mr Sleep added: "We anticipated the nutrient standards a long time ago. We've had to tweak some of the menus but they were virtually there two or three years ago.

"The turkey twizzler hasn’t existed in Kent for a very long time."

Prue Leith, chair of the School Food Trust, said: "This doesn't mean old favorites are no longer available, but it does mean that a school menu cycle will have been developed with the right balance of foods to meet the needs of a growing child."