Beef Back on the Menu

Issues with beef provided to schools through the school lunch program have been resolved, according to the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Beef involved in a recent recall has been destroyed, and schools can again serve beef products to students. Federal Way Public Schools plans to add it back to school menus as early as February 28, 2008.

On January 31st, the (USDA) notified school districts in the Western Region to "hold" beef products from one of their suppliers for school lunch programs while an investigation was conducted into handling of cattle in a California facility. Beef products were immediately pulled from cafeterias in the district. As a precaution, schools have not served beef products in school lunches for the past four weeks while waiting for direction from the USDA. Chicken and other foods were substituted for beef during this time.

Like other districts served by this supplier, Federal Way Nutrition Services this week destroyed all recalled beef using a process overseen by OSPI and the King County Health Department. The remaining beef in the Nutrition Services Central Kitchens is not associated with the recall and will be placed back on the menu.

The district was forced to destroy over 200 cases of meat and will be applying for reimbursement from the USDA for this economic loss.

February 28, 2008