The Ministry of Education has told schools receiving free lunches to not let children take home leftover meals.

The Ministry has cited food safety concerns - and says uneaten meals should be returned to the supplier to avoid extra risks. 

Hora Hora school principal Pat Newman says his school's seen no incidents of any students getting ill from leftover food. 

"There's no proof - the only lunches that anyone's gotten ill from is the ones that were supplied from the Ministry in the first place. We actually take better care." 

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