PUPILS from one Yorkshire Dales Primary School became secret agents recently, when they were learning about food hygiene.

The year 6 pupils from Tebay were using special packs from Eden District Council's Environmental Health Team. The packs are part of a Food Standards Agency sponsored initiative called Mission:Possible! and have a secret agent theme.

The children found the whole thing great fun...and they enjoyed being able to come to school dressed a secret agents

Alison Wild - Tebay Primary School

Each pupil was given an agent's case filled with top secret gadgets, including digital and fridge thermometers, special swabs for detecting dirt, sample spatulas and bags and calculators. The cases also contain a workbook which takes the children through 10 exercises to teach them about how food poisoning bacteria grow and how to stop them causing illness.

Eden is only one of 50 local authorities in the country invited to take part in the initiative, and demand for the packs is high.

Emma Brass, Senior Environmental Health Officer with Eden District Council said: "Schools are really keen to use the packs because they present information to the children in an exciting and innovative way. The children are asked to go into their own kitchens and search for samples to put into the sample bags and bring them back to school to examine, which they think is great fun, even if their parents might not!. From the feedback we've got so far, the children seem to be getting the message."

Alison Wild, Year 6 Teacher at Tebay Primary School said: "The children found the whole thing great fun. The work book took them through the project in a structured way and the equipment in the pack was such a motivation to them to complete the exercises. And they enjoyed being able to come to school dressed a secret agents".

The packs will be available for schools throughout the forthcoming school year.