MONMOUTHSHIRE council could turn its back on Welsh produce in a bid to save money on school dinners.

Proposals to buy cheaper ingredients across the border in Gloucestershire were discussed at a cabinet meeting last week and the plans are currently being considered as part of a public consultation.

A council spokeswoman said buying from Gloucestershire could be cheaper and quicker than sourcing food from other parts of Wales. Most of the ingredients used in school meals are currently Welsh produce.

The move, if supported by residents and councillors, is expected to help save the council £56,000 during the next financial year.

Most of this saving would come from reorganising school kitchens and closing two of them.

But council bosses have stressed the nutritional quality of ingredients would be unaffected by the proposals.

The council’s cabinet member for finance, Councillor Phil Murphy, said: “An analogy that we can all understand in these difficult financial times, and especially when we shop at the supermarket this Christmas, is when we downshift a brand. It doesn't mean that we are eating something less nutritious, it is simply supplied more efficiently."

Cllr Murphy put the need for savings down to the council's settlement from the National Assembly, describing the 3.7 percent increase as “dire”.

While the council could make around £56,000 worth of savings in these ways, it would also allocate £61,000 into other parts of the school meals service including the added cost of inflation in staff pay and on improving the attractiveness and uptake of school meals.

This means the council could look at menus, cooking technology and other ways of making meals healthier.

Head teacher of Govilon Junior School, Abergavenny, Rob Lewis, said: " Ideally we would want products to be local but if they are not competitively priced then I suppose the local authority have to look elsewhere.”

Monmouthshire county council will spend £1.392 million on primary school meals this academic year with 490,000 meals served.

Councillors will be invited to a seminar in January to discuss the proposals and a number of area forums will be held over the next few months to gain feedback from residents.