Schools’ Poor Meat Standards

Meat used in school lunches is not as rigorously tested for pathogens as meat served in many fast-food restaurants, according to a recent investigation by USA Today. Although the Agricultural Marketing Service says their inspection process for school lunch meat is stricter than the requirements for meat sold to the general public, many fast-food chains, including KFC and Jack in the Box, would consistently reject the meat that schoolchildren end up eating. J. Glenn Morris, director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida, says these findings are problematic because there is no guarantee cafeteria workers will cook meat thoroughly enough to kill bacteria, and children are more susceptible to food-borne pathogens. This report is one more reason why Meatless Mondays are a good idea.