A larva was found in a lunch from the School Lunch Collective at a West Auckland school.
A larva was found in a lunch from the School Lunch Collective at a West Auckland school.
A dead larva has been found in a school meal at a West Auckland school.
The Minister in charge of the school lunch programme, David Seymour, says MPI will get to the bottom of it.
The Labour Party says it is a “new low” for the school programme.
More questions are being asked about the school lunch programme after a dead larva was found in a meal.
Photos of the chicken, potato and vegetable meal delivered to a West Auckland school show a dead larva, roughly twice the length of a fingernail, resting ona potato.
The minister in charge of the school lunch programme, David Seymour, said the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) would get to the bottom of it.
“Let’s do the investigation and find out the facts and, if there needs to be a fix, we’ll do a fix,” he told 1News.
“They investigate everything and, oftentimes, it turns out to be a false alarm, so let’s take it seriously until we know the facts.”
A School Lunch Collective spokesperson said Kelston Boys High School had been in touch directly regarding its concerns.
A larva was found in a lunch from the School Lunch Collective meal at a school in West Auckland.
“We have met with them and have changed delivery times to the school as a result and are working through a concern relating to fruit delivered to the school that didn’t meet expectations,” they said.
“We are also aware that MPI is investigating an insect that was found in a meal delivered to the school; however can’t comment until the investigation is complete.”
Labour’s education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime said the latest incident was a “new low” for the school lunch programme.
“First it was exploding lunches, then frozen lunches, then it was plastic and glass, now it’s a bug,” she said.
“This is an insult to our students. Our children deserve better than this.
“David Seymour promised all issues would be fixed come start of Term 2, but they’re not.”
Prime said New Zealand Food Safety must be thorough in its investigation.
“Finding an insect in a school lunch is an appalling further drop in standards.
“If David Seymour’s shocking track record on school lunches is anything to go by, once he becomes Deputy Prime Minister we’re in for some more nasty surprises.”
