City Councilor John Connolly Catches Four Boston Schools with Expired Frozen Food

After finding four Boston Public Schools with frozen food well past its expiration date still in their freezers, At-Large Boston City Councilor John Connolly wants school officials to explain: How come students are being fed expired food?

Connolly visited the Curley K-8 School, English High School, Orchard Gardens School, and Boston Latin Academy, and found items such as expired liquid cheese. A Connolly aide confirmed that the Councilor  saw outdated food in every school's kitchen he visited. 

While frozen foods can be served after their recommended expiration dates, Connolly noted that "unsafe food practices could compromise the safety and welfare of students" and that all parties concerned need to be informed about the quality of food that BPS is serving.

BPS Director of Media Relations Matt Wilder said "(Mayor Thomas Menino) has asked (Superintendent Carol Johnson) to take a full inventory of food in schools. We began that process yesterday (March 2) and we will be doing that over the next few days. We follow USDA guidelines that say this food is safe. No one is questioning the safety of the food. I don’t believe Councilor Connolly is questioning  the safety of the food, but rather the nutritional value."

Connolly and Wilder seem to agree that food for our schooled youths ought to be held to the highest standards. "We've been looking at what we’re serving and provide the highest quality of food to students day after day," Wilder Said.

"We’ve beein doing that by serving more fresh fruit and vegetables and having chefs in schools. We are reaching higher every day and we’re going to continue to do that," he continued, noting that following the USDA guidelines may simply not present a high enough standard for Boston.

In particular, Connolly has requested information from the City and BPS about any documentation and/or memos relating to cheese sticks that were not to be served to students on June 20, 2010.

He also requested any and all documentation, including emails, phone calls, proofs of delivery, receipts and more, in regards to food purchases, storage, disposal from the City and BPS.

One of Connolly's peers, At-Large Councilor Felix Arroyo quickly championed Connolly's work.

"I would like to commend Councilor Connolly for bringing this issue to our attention," Arroyo said. "I would never serve expired foods to a member of my own family. We should not serve the students that attend the Boston Public Schools food we would not eat or serve our own loved ones. While I have not been blessed with children yet, all of my nieces and nephews that are of school age attend the Boston Public Schools. I am stunned that we may be serving them and all Boston Public School students expired foods."