The French government has accused the mayor of Lyon of insulting French butchers and harming children's health by banning meat from school lunches in the city.

Famed for its hearty meat-based cuisine, Lyon is often dubbed the French capital of gastronomy, making the decision by Green Mayor Gregory Doucet to impose a vegetarian menu particularly controversial.

Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie took to Twitter on Sunday to denounce Doucet for "putting ideology on our children's plates."

He added: "Let's just give them what they need to grow well. Meat is part of it."

Denormandie has asked the region's prefect, the state-appointed top local official, to overrule the decision.

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Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also weighed in, calling the move an "unacceptable insult" for French farmers and butchers.

Doucet shows no sign of budging, responding on Twitter to the criticism by saying the measure was due to the health crisis. He also pointed out that his right-wing predecessor Gerard Collomb took "exactly the same measure" during the pandemic's first wave.

Doucet called the menu "balanced for all our schoolchildren." Children can still eat fish and egg products.

Despite its reputation for meat-eating, Lyon is home to Culina Hortus, voted best vegetarian restaurant in the world in 2020.