David Seymour Addresses School Lunch Controversy Over Mouldy Meals

New Zealand’s School Lunches Minister, David Seymour, has responded to a recent controversy concerning mouldy meals served at Haeata Community Campus in Christchurch. Following the release of a report from New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), Seymour stated that the principal of the school, Peggy Burrows, is now “eating humble pie” after the investigation confirmed that the mouldy meals had likely been present in the school for several days.

The NZFS report, released on December 1, 2023, revealed that the meals discovered were likely misplaced and left unrefrigerated over the weekend. The investigation followed the discovery of approximately 20 mouldy meals by a staff member. On that day, the school received a total of 343 standard meals and 28 special dietary meals, all delivered in insulated Cambro containers.

Investigation Findings and School Response

The report indicated that the meals had been served on December 1, with the menu featuring savoury minced beef and potatoes, a repeat of the previous Thursday’s offering. Notably, no meals were delivered on Friday, November 28, due to a teacher-only day at the school. Instead, other schools received alternative meals that day.

According to the NZFS, it is improbable that the mouldy meals were leftovers from the previous week. Investigators found that while the school had additional Cambro containers on-site, they were not consistently monitored. After daily distribution, some containers returned to the cafeteria where leftover meals were accessible to students. CCTV footage showed that eight Cambro containers were delivered on November 27, with nine returned later that day. All the mouldy meals were found in a single cafeteria container, pointing to a likely oversight in food handling.

In addressing the situation, Seymour dismissed concerns about food safety raised by critics. “There is no question here about food safety. People who have tried to say that have had to eat a different meal, which is humble pie,” he stated, emphasizing that the findings of the investigation are clear.

Recommendations and Next Steps

The NZFS concluded that the distributor was not at fault, as no similar complaints were reported from other schools that received the same meals. The investigation also highlighted limitations at the Christchurch distribution facility, where only meals for the next day were stored due to limited chiller capacity. Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of NZFS, confirmed that there was no ongoing food safety risk associated with the School Lunch Collective.

Following the investigation, NZFS has issued recommendations aimed at improving traceability, reporting, and food handling processes across schools and their suppliers. Parents and students have been assured that the issue has been thoroughly addressed, with no continuing risk to food safety.

Haeata Community Campus is also conducting its own internal investigation, which is expected to conclude by Friday. The principal has been approached for additional comments regarding the findings and the school’s next steps.