day 43 - public school meat.
Here's a link to the beef recall video. www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/arti...
"Officials estimate that some 37 million lbs of the recalled meat had been heading to schools across America though they fear that most of it will have already been eaten."
According to the hot lunch calendar the meat tube in my hand is actually turkey sausage. Not that that makes it any more appetizing, or any less greasy and over processed.
To go with the turkey meat tube there are tater-tots, and scrambled eggs. I had a hard time getting it out of it's wrapper because all of the condensation made everything stick together, and the tray that it was in fell apart.
It does, a least, look more like something I would identify as "breakfast." This is a big step up from the candy bar that was served yesterday. Still, nothing is cooked on site. Plastic bags of food are heated up in a microwave. It's full of grease and empty carbohydrates and I absolutely don't trust the meat, even if it isn't beef.
I'll continue with this series on Monday. The calendar says they're serving "Bagelers," whatever that is.
Comments and faves
eyeliam (52 months ago | reply)
Gross.
Stew* (52 months ago | reply)
This is crazy stuff. Fortunately, I think people are finally waking up en masse to ideas of food quality.
365bunnies (52 months ago | reply)
Yuck.
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Seen next to a fellow photo of 365 Days. (?)
cowboy_montgomery (52 months ago | reply)
yeah, it might be sort of redundant for me to post this stuff, because people who spend a lot of time already know about this stuff. I remember complaining about this stuff in Junior High and becoming a vegetarian for a few months. What floors me is that everyone knows and they still serve this shit to our kids.
And not everyone does know. I get the distinct impression that about 80% of the other parents at our school don't really know how bad the food is for them. And I don't even know how to tell them because I don't speak any Vietnamese.
Stew* (52 months ago | reply)
No, I don't thinks it's redundant that you post these at all. It's interesting and important.
Pancakemama/Ani (52 months ago | reply)
it makes me so sad to think that this crap is acceptable. i wish i had more time in my life so i could start an edible schoolyard type of program in my area to help spread food and nutrition knowledge.
Stew* (52 months ago | reply)
Dana's way big on the whole edible school yard thing.
boxbabe86 (52 months ago | reply)
Gross!
{JO} (52 months ago | reply)
Eew!! Not at all apetising!! I hear you!!
You might be interested...In Qld here, we have had legislation passed to change what school canteens can serve (quite a different canteen system here) But childhood obesity and childhood diabetes is shocking here in Australia!! No lollies, softdrinks etc and food over a certain fat % is a now a big no no... Also food that contain certains preservatives. We are allowed a certain number of "red, yellow and orange" days a year...often linked with sports carnival days etc. Also no fried foods! This is all fairly new...and as yet there is no actual "policing" of this to check that schools are doing the right thing!...but our school canteen has changed it ways!! A postive step, and it will be interesting to see the effects on behaviour and health in a few years time!! It has had to become law...before schools will do anything about it here ..School P&C's make alot of money out of the sale of junk food!!
Good luck...I think it's great that you care about this! so many don't!!
lisa ici (52 months ago | reply)
This is so sad. I have one kid who always complains about tummy aches in the afternoon because she's hungry. Her mom doesn't let her have snacks after school (because they can't afford it). When I ask if she ate her (free) hot lunch she says "I couldn't. It was too disgusting."
Breaks my f*ing heart.
*a_madans (52 months ago | reply)
glad you are doing this series.
citybumpkin (52 months ago | reply)
Oh my. That doesn't look like food.
yellowbike (52 months ago | reply)
Bagelers? They're serving people who make bagels?
Er, I guess that would be people who used to make bagels.
Gads, I hated school lunches. I hated the noodles for being overcooked and the corn for having been frozen. But at least it was food instead of foodstuff.
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
cowboy_montgomery (52 months ago | reply)
Pancakemama, Stew - I *heart* the edible school yard project. I know there's some similar projects going on around town. Just not at my school. Hopefully someday.
boxbabe - yup.
Jo - That's really interesting to hear how it's done in other countries. I'll have to read more about that. On a different subject, I love that you use the word "canteen" in Australia. Just that makes the food sound better to me.
Lisa - that's such a sad story. Teachers have such a difficult job from every angle. Thanks for doing it.
Amy - thanks. It's sort of fun getting Simone to sneak me out a breakfast every morning. She likes it too.
bumpkin- nope.
yb - so that's what a bageler is. I feel like I should have known that. Can't wait to see it.
sacredlotus (52 months ago | reply)
ok that's just nasty! poor kids :(
Cynthia E. Wood (52 months ago | reply)
just reading the article *about* the video made me cry...i couldn't bear to watch it... and i actually do eat meat. although i try to only buy/consume meat that i know has been safely and humanely raised and slaughtered*, which is relatively easy to do here in the bay area, and perhaps a few other small pockets of the country, but that only accounts for a tiny fraction of the meat in our markets and on our tables. the whole situation surrounding our food supply/food production is such a gigantic mess... it's all so disheartening...
*a la joel salatin's farm in virginia -- the one michael pollan writes about in "the omnivore's dilemma."
harpy (52 months ago | reply)
hmm. i saw your comment about redundancy. i think this is a great series, i haven't seen anything like this in any of my contacts streams, and i really appreciate that you're doing it.
yes i read the news stories about the recall. and i guess i know a lot about this subject compared to some people, because i live in a place where organics are prized and cultivated and i read a lot of newspapers and magazines and books. but seeing how this affects real people is fascinating and it's one of the really great things about flickr.
harpy (52 months ago | reply)
one thing i dont understand is how can a school not make food on site? isn't a school kitchen where they make fresh good food as valuable as a library or a classroom?
cowboy_montgomery (52 months ago | reply)
Cynner SF - that video made me cry too. Then I let my kids watch it. They were outraged.
Harpy - I know, it's weird about the kitchen. I'm not sure when they stopped cooking at the schools. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I bet it's about funding.
MeganElizabethMorris added this photo to her favorites. (52 months ago)
ginamccaleb (51 months ago | reply)
at the school I teach at: last year they couldn't "afford" a person to wash dishes so EVERY meal (breakfast and lunch) and every side dish was served on STYROFOAM!!!!!!!!!!!! I did a small personal boycott but couldn't risk my job........
some of the food is made on site (like those yummy yeast rolls)but we have about 70% on free/reduced lunches which means we are a poor school getting commodity (govt foods). I would think it cheaper to "home cook" than buy pre-prepared/pre-cooked/packaged food (like hamburgers already on a bun that come in a plastic bag) but I'm not the food director and I don't know what the budget looks like
My biggest concern (other than quality - yuck) is the small servings - but they are so nutritionally empty maybe it's a good thing.
I should add: we're on the right track - the soda machines have been replaced with milk machines but shame on those parents who bring their kids to school with bottles of soda, or worse, for breakfast - and deliver McD's to them for lunch!
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