The rising cost of food has left nearly two million school children facing food shortages, a new survey has revealed.

LACA, the professional body representing school meal providers, conducted a survey of school meal providers operating in 9,874 schools, feeding 1.8m pupils a day.

The organisation found that 91% of respondents were experiencing food shortages and over 60% said this has not improved since May 2022.

Bread, fish, cheese, pasta and potatoes were the items most affected, the survey found.

Three-quarters (76%) of the respondents reported that they have had to change their menu because of food shortages. Over a quarter (28%) are now using more processed foods to cope with rising costs.

Over half (52.2%) expect the quality of school meals to continue getting worse over the coming weeks and months.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Brad Pearce, chair of LACA, said: ‘Despite the best efforts of our members and dedicated frontline staff, the school meals industry is on its knees. The challenges facing our industry are set to get worse over the coming weeks and months. Without an increase in school meal funding the most vulnerable children in our society will go without, possibly, their only hot, healthy, and nutritious meal of the day.’

Mr Pearce also said that the Government should raise the free school meals (FSM) entitlement threshold.

‘We are also urging the Government to raise the FSM entitlement threshold to all children whose parents are on Universal Credit, to ensure that no child misses out on a school lunch. A hungry child cannot learn, but for too many children this could soon become their reality,’ he said.