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An elementary school's class of '09 and class of '15 enjoyed the same pork at very different qualities. #ThanksMichelleObama

A Tennessee elementary school's poor inventory procedures led to pork that had been frozen in 2009 being served with school lunches six years later. Technically safe, but incredibly bad for quality. USDA recommends that pork be eaten within 4-12 months or else it will degrade noticeably.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/years-old-meat-served-to-students-but-was-it-117876180807.html

Think the mystery meat your school served was questionable? Just ask students in Hawkins County, Tenn., about their school lunches. According to ABC affiliate WATE-TV in Knoxville, lunch workers served pork roast to students that was frozen in 2009.

The April 22 incident prompted school director Steve Starnes to order a full food inventory to make sure it never happens again. “We’re not only going to be incorporating the package date, but also the delivery date on our inventory items,” Starnes told WATE-TV.

No students got sick after eating the six-year-old pork, but what that just a fluke? No. Frozen meat will last longer than you think, according to John W. Linville, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health and Senior Staff Officer with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Length of freezing will only create quality issues, he says.

Fix my inventory procedures if old.

 

[Amalthea]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

 

[ZackieChan]

Pathetic. First in first out, people!

 

[bengraven]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

I lolled.

 

[OuterLimits]

Don't you dare bring to school those evil sugary candy bars.

Here, have some 6 year old frozen pork. Enjoy.

 

[StoneFox]

Um.

Wouldn't the meat have been freezer burned by now and obviously different from fresher stock?

 

[Always-honest]

I'll gladly believe it won't taste different than other school meat.

 

[Timedog]

Um.

Wouldn't the meat have been freezer burned by now and obviously different from fresher stock?

freezer burn happens from constant thawing and dethawing. If the school has a very large freezer with a lot of stuff in it, the meat was probably fine.

Did anyone get sick or anything? Seems like properly frozen meat would last a long time.

edit: didn't fully read OP, no one got sick and meat was probably fine.

 

[Kenai]

Um.

Wouldn't the meat have been freezer burned by now and obviously different from fresher stock?

The average school lunch meat appearance already resembles 6 year old meat, i assume they had to bite into it to tell the difference (they COULD tell the difference, right?)

 

[Rich!]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

 

[Swhalen]

I wouldn't server it, but I'd eat it.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

okay wow. I know its been said countless times but there really is a Simpson's picture for everything. lol

edit: even creepier thats apparantly from Season 6, Episode 6.

 

[industrian]

Only 6 years?

I'm pretty sure I'd find stuff from 2007 and earlier from one of the freezers in my parent's house.

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

I ate 2 year old frozen dumplings one time. Didn't get sick. But it was sorta nasty, haha.

 

[iamaustrian]

Well, actually serving it is probably a bit much but I would have no prob eating it.
I eat old(stuff I can't even remember when I put it in the freezer) frozen meat all the time.
It may taste a bit funny and look greyish but "zum scheissen reichts"(means something like "good enough for shitting");...as we say here.

frozen rabbits or other game are different though. it has a nasty aftertaste. your burps taste rotten after consumption. especially if you throw up a little bit in your mouth

 

[Currygan]

Meat is generally pretty terrible when it's been frozen for more than two years, at least in my experience. Pork in particular tastes like piss

 

[sakipon]

So no-one got sick and no-one noticed any noteworthy changes in taste or texture? Of course they should avoid situations like this happening but sounds like a non-issue really.

 

[Bam]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

I'm glad I'm not the only one who read it like that.

 

[andymcc]

I wanted to post this image ;(

 

[NewFresh]

FIFO, people. FIFO!!

 

[VoidVR]

So no-one got sick and no-one noticed any noteworthy changes in taste or texture? Of course they should avoid situations like this happening but sounds like a non-issue really.

Ah yes, the discrepancy in taste should have been noticed from the classic gourmet meals they otherwise serve in schools. ;P

God, I still have nightmares from the "spinach" they used to serve in my elementary school.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Slow news day, apparently.

 

[Hypereides]

Personally, that sounds like a health hazard. It's not advised to store meat under deep freeze for so long.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

So who noticed? Did one of the students say the food sucked, or did a cafeteria worker come forward?

 

[massoluk]

Man, and I thought me eating 4 months old frozen meat I found in my fridge was bad.

 

[FyreWulff]

Personally, that sounds like a health hazard. It's not advised to store meat under deep freeze for so long.

Only the taste degrades. There's no actual health risk since the things that would make you sick from old meat can't actually form.

If you've ever seen those industrial freezers, they're so damn big that if you have poor inventory marking or constant new staff, you do end up with stuff that stays in there for quite a long time. We have one of those big floor freezers back home and once a year we went through it to avoid forgetting about something.

that meat definitely tasted like the freezer itself at that point, though

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

Probably would have been tastier than the pork.

 

[HideyoshiJP]

I feel like this "outrage" is born from ignorance of meat. It's as bad as the frozen McRib "scandal" or the pink slime in ammonia thing.

 

[AlucardGV]

good, you shouldn't waste food.

 

[bms2993]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

I was going to call you out on that but I'll be damned if I didn't too.

 

[DoktorEvil]

I feel like this "outrage" is born from ignorance of meat. It's as bad as the frozen McRib "scandal" or the pink slime in ammonia thing.

Generally, if one doesn't prep it or dress it or know how to cook meat, yeah that makes sense.

 

[slit]

good, you shouldn't waste food.

Fine, then supply your address to the school and they can send you all the old meat they have.

bon appetit.

 

[MUnited83]

Oh, relax kids. I've got a gut feeling Uter's around here somewhere. After all, isn't there a little Uter in all of us?

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Fine, then supply your address to the school and they can send you all the old meat they have.

bon appetit.

I'm sure we can find more than enough people who would gladly take it.

 

[meppi]

Uuuugh, I first read they served the meat of a 6-years old. :/

Haha, I did the same.

Worst thing I remember eating was butter that was 4 year past it's expiration date.
The first 2 days it was somewhat fine to eat, just tasted a little salty, the third it really turned sour so I decided to check the date. lol

 

[idlewild_]

So they literally wanted to serve them lunch they would have eaten prior to their graduation. That's some dedication right there.

 

[TheMan]

meat was safe, no one got sick. they had one gross lunch, but what makes that different from all their other school lunches?

 

[freenudemacusers]

don't people buy wine because it's older? what's the difference.

 

[Gr8one]

Those poor kids. Its experiences like this that makes me understand why some gaffers have weird food issues as adults.

 

[frankie_baby]

If it won't do any harm then what exactly is the problem, why is this news

 

[NealMcCauley]

Local articles on the meat.

Cooks had to make gravy to cover the stench.

 

[Schrade]

Local articles on the meat.

Cooks had to make gravy to cover the stench.

This almost made me throw up.

 

[slit]

I'm sure we can find more than enough people who would gladly take it.

That's actually true.

When I used to volunteer at the food bank, you wouldn't believe some the the expired garbage that was donated.

 

[CrazyDude]

Some of these kids were born when that meat was fresh.

 

[frankie_baby]

I'm sure we can find more than enough people who would gladly take it.

Better than food going to waste when people are going hungry

 

[gblues]