Schoolchildren in west Wales are putting their taste buds to work to test a new range of products which could end up on their lunch plates.

A food fair at Amman Valley Comprehensive School in Ammanford is giving pupils the opportunity to taste different dishes.

Jac Isaac, aged four, eats a turkey korma dinner

Carmarthenshire council already has the highest take-up of school dinners in the UK, and are hoping the event will keep them abreast of what children want to eat.

Food suppliers will offer samples of their products, while school cooks will talk to students about the way food is prepared.

The council is looking at introducing different foods to keep up with the changing tastes of pupils at its schools.

They are likely to offer more pasta dishes, ethnic cuisine and a range of fast foods for the comprehensives across the region.

Tastes are changing all the time, and more and more schoolchildren want a varied menu Carmerthenshire council Huw Parsons

There will also be a range of ready-made lunchboxes containing sandwiches and cakes for primary schoolchildren who do not want a hot meal.

Carmarthenshire commercial marketing manager Huw Parsons said: "Tastes are changing all the time, and we are finding that more and more schoolchildren want a varied menu.

"Ethnic cuisine and pasta dishes are proving more popular so we want the pupils to test a range of products and give us their opinions.

"They are after all our customers and we want to provide the best possible service for them."

The county held a similar event last year to get feedback about its food service - one of the products children tested to find their favourite variety was baked beans.

Canteens

Figures for school meal take-up in the area show the efforts the council makes to provide food children want to eat are paying dividends.

In primary schools, 67% of pupils eat meals provided by canteens, over a third higher than the UK average of 42%.

The take-up in the comprehensives is even higher, with over 80% choosing to eat school meals.

As well as hands-on tasting sessions like the one at Ammanford, schools are regularly sent questionnaires to enable the council to find out what pupils and staff think of the service.

Promotional days and healthy eating events are held to try out different foods and judge the response to them.

Elin Cullen, head of schools' catering, said: "We are delighted that the figures for our school meals are so high.

"It shows that our service is well received."