Burnt Whangārei school lunches received with their packaging already coming off and burnt. Photo: RNZ / Ellen O'Dwyer
The food safety authority has found a school lunch that burnt a student was provided by a third party in packaging that was not intended for commercial reheating.
An investigation was launched by New Zealand Food Safety and the Ministry of Education after a student at Gisborne's Ilminster Intermediate school was burnt by a school lunch provided by Compass, the company contracted to lead the government's low-cost school lunch programme, earlier this month.
Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the agency found that the accident could have been avoided if Compass had followed proper processes.
The lunch was supplied by a third-party, Heinz Watties, and while it is perfectly safe for re-heating in a domestic microwave or oven, the school lunch providers used commercial-scale reheaters.
"This third-party product packaging was not designed specifically for the commercial reheating process used and the absence of reheating instructions resulted in the meals being overheated and the packaging becoming compromised," Arbuckle said.
He said Compass sourced and rolled out the Heinz Watties meals without assessing the risks and suitability of the meals for the Healthy School Lunches Programme.
"We have required that Compass, the lead provider of the School Lunch Collective, ensures that thorough risk assessment and oversight procedures are undertaken before using third-party suppliers in the future."
Arbuckle said Compass would be supervised to make sure changes were made and the accident was not repeated.
"Compass has been co-operative with our investigation, and we will monitor that the necessary corrective actions are taken in the interests of the students. We have advised the Ministry of Education of our findings and requirements to Compass.
"We continue a series of site visits of the contracted providers and schools as we look into heating processes across facilities, as requested by [Ministry of Education]."
Ilminster school principal Jonathan Poole said it's disappointing Compass didn't check the risks of using a pre-made meal.
"It should never have happened, that incident. That poor child should never have been burnt."
"But I guess it highlights that bigger issue around the supply, and that was one of the concerns early in the piece around the school lunches, and having them shipped in from outside the region, and not having a regional approach."
He said the pre-packed meals shouldn't have been used in hindsight, and he is concerned the company didn't have a better back up plan for supply falling short.
"I'd rather not see those packaged meals come back, to be honest."
"I also have some concerns around what happens if they fall short again? Is that what we're gonna see again? It sounds great that their monitoring the bits and pieces, but there's obviously some bigger kinks in the machine that need to be sorted out around the supply to the region."
He said the student that was burnt by the spilled Watties cottage pie lunch is back at school and has bounced back, but is still disappointed not to be able to join in activities like swimming lessons.
"He's still healing - but he's gonna have some lasting scars to remind him of that day, and it'll be a day he probably won't forget for a while.
"We are grateful that we get free lunches for our kids, but I just think looking at the bits and pieces, what's happened with the young man and the burn on the leg, the inconsistencies around the menu, the wastage - I talked to one student the other day and she said she brings her own salt to add flavour to the lunch.
"It's just not hitting the mark."
A statement posted on the School Lunch Collective website said the organisation had acknowledged the findings, and that the Heinz Watties meals were sourced to make up for not enough meals being made.
"The School Lunch Collective is working constructively with the Ministry for Primary Industries and accept the findings - in relation to menu items that were used due to manufacturing shortfalls.
"We have implemented additional procedures in the selection, processing and handling of food. We welcome MPI's role in regulating our processes, which we take great pride in. Our kitchens are verified and audited regularly by an independent MPI verification body, and we follow the Food Act, Food Control Plans and related regulations."
At the time of the accident, director of Compass NZ and School Lunch Collective spokesperson Paul Harvey said it was "deeply regrettable".
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