The government has appointed Suzi Leather to chair the new body set up to tackle the problem of school meals.

The new School Meals Review Panel will set compulsory nutritional standards for school dinners and follows widespread concern over the issue, sparked by Jamie Oliver’s recent television series.

“No one should live a shorter or unhealthier life because they ate school food,” said Leather, a former deputy chair of the Food Standards Agency.

The panel, meeting for the first time on Monday, will be expected to develop "tough minimum nutrition standards for primary and secondary schools", and those standards will be given to schools from this autumn and made mandatory 12 months later.

The new body will provide expert advice for a "major revision" in the type of food served in schools, including a reduction in fat, salt and sugar and an increase in fruit and vegetables.

It will also look at whether unhealthy types of food or ingredients should be restricted or entirely removed from school meals - and how decisions about using fresh ingredients could affect costs.

From September, the government says it will be providing £220m for schools and local authorities so that they can spend at least 50p on ingredients per pupil per day for primary schools, and 60p in secondary schools.