Retail giant Tesco has announced a new initiative aimed at improving the diets of thousands of young people by providing them with free fruit and vegetables at school.

The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, will invest £4m ($5.2m) to support up to 140,000 pupils in 400 schools across the UK.

The initiative will provide funding for these schools to offer at least one piece of fruit or vegetable to each student every day.

Tesco's investment is focused on schools with a higher-than-average free school meal ratio, targeting areas where families are more likely to face challenges in affording healthy food.

By providing free fruit and vegetables, the programme aims to increase the overall fruit and vegetable intake of participating students by an average of 23%.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption can have significant health benefits for children.

The programme is expected to boost intakes of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and fibre.

“We know we can’t change habits overnight, but we can ensure that young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK get access to more fruit and veg," said Ken Murphy, Tesco Group chief executive.

"We want to help them try something new, learn about food and how to prepare and cook it."

The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools programme is part of a broader effort to address the issue of childhood obesity and promote healthy eating habits.

By providing free fruit and vegetables to students, Tesco is taking a proactive step to ensure that young people have access to nutritious food options.