Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson has said a drop in the quality of free school meals is driven by high inflation and could put school children at risk greater risk of "poor health" as well as underachievement in school.
Soaring food inflation has seen the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks rise by the second highest rate in 45 years in the 12 months to April 2023 at 19.1 per cent.
But government allowances per school meal provided to children from families on low incomes have not increased accordingly - with an infant school meal costing £2.41 per head, a 7p increase from June 2022, an amount below inflation.
"I have been contacted by suppliers and their industry body who are concerned about the viability of continuing to provide school meals, and all say the only way to sustain the business is to cut both portion size and quality," Johnson told PoliticsHome.
