Food fraud fight.

A new food protection plan aims to improve people's health and wellbeing.

Durham County Council's food enforcement plan, drawn up by its trading standards service for the coming year, aims to prevent food frauds and ensure nutritional standards and legal limits for additives are met to help consumers make healthy eating choices.

The council inspects all types of businesses, from supermarkets to take-aways, sampling foods for independent analysis so that food quality is maintained and labelling is truthful and accurate.

Coun Brian Myers, cabinet member for trading standards, said: "Independent sampling is the only way food quality problems can be identified and we'll be visiting around 1,300 food premises and taking about 1,100 food samples over the year to ensure that national food standards are maintained.

"There is increased awareness of the important role that a balanced diet plays in promoting healthy lifestyle choices."