WIREDGOV

The Food Standards Agency has joined forces with the Good Food Channel to produce a new cooking show, Family Supercooks, which begins airing tonight.

In each programme two families will compete to produce the best family meal, with the ultimate aim of winning the title of 'Britain's Best Cooking Family'.

As the competition progresses, the winning families will face different cooking challenges based on real-life situations. For example, in the semis families will have to design and cook food that reflects the seasons, while in the final three families will have to produce a family feast.

The Agency, which part-funded the series, has provided the show with nutrition advice on the contestants' recipes. During the programmes, presenters Amanda Lamb and Paul Merrett will give tips on making meals healthier.

The FSA's Head of Dietary Health and Nutrition, Rosemary Hignett, says: 'The Food Standards Agency is committed to helping consumers choose, cook and eat safe, healthy food. Getting families cooking together is a great way to encourage the whole family to eat more healthily sharing their skills, knowledge and food experience across the generations. The show will encourage family members to try new foods and make their traditional family meals healthier.'

As part of its involvement with the programme, the Agency has also contributed healthy recipes to the Good Food website, along with advice on healthy eating and family-friendly tips for turning children into food-lovers. The eatwell site also features some of the recipes from the show.

The show starts on Monday 26 October on Good Food and runs every weeknight at 9pm for two weeks, with the grand final on Friday 6 November. Each programme will be shown an hour later on Good Food +1 and repeated the following day on Good Food at 9.30am, 1.30pm and 4pm.

Good Food is available on Sky 249 and Virgin Media 260.