Old meat served for lunch at schools in East Tennessee
ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – An East Tennessee school district has implemented new food handling procedures after years-old pork roast was served to students for lunch.
Media report the frozen meat had dates of 2009-2011 and was served to students in the Hawkins County district on April 22. No sicknesses have been reported.
Director of Schools Steve Starnes told media that a new inventory system went into effect last Friday. In addition, all current frozen items were inventoried and outdated items were discarded.
Hawkins County Commissioner Michael Herrell said he received a call from a concerned cafeteria worker, and he raised questions about the safety of the food.
According to the Kingsport Times-News, the Department of Agriculture quality chart recommends eating frozen roasts within 12 months, but it says frozen food remains safe indefinitely.
