When we send our kids off to school, we usually do so with the expectation that they’ll be safe and will eat a good lunch. But parents and students at Kamehameha Schools Keaʻau on Hawaiʻi Island, have sounded the alarm over some of the meals served there. Photos of raw chicken, and undercooked eggs and meatloaf, have been circulating on social media in recent weeks. One parent, who asked that we withhold her name, spoke with The Conversation’s Russell Subiono about the situation.
In the email the school sent to parents, the school said, in part:
“We are aware of concerns over food quality over the past couple of weeks and while change does take time, these are concerns that need immediate rectification. We are aware of the photos being posted on social media and this issue was addressed directly with management yesterday. Mass meal preparation is complex, especially with individually plated meals particularly when the emphasis is on fresh ingredients versus processed foods. There are additional accountability measures being put into place for checking food preparation as well as additional training for those who have specific kuleana to ensure proper food quality.”
We reached out to Kamehameha Schools for additional comment, but a representative was unavailable to respond. The Hawaiʻi Department of Health says if parents are concerned about food safety at their school, they should contact the District Health Office on their island, which we were told was not done in this case. DOH said it will follow up.
Update March 11, 2022, 12:48pm: A spokesperson for Kamehameha Schools provided this statement:
“At Kamehameha Schools, student health and well-being are top priorities, including serving our haumāna healthy, nourishing food. It’s not acceptable when those standards are not met, not to KS and not to our food vendor, Flik Independent School Dining. We take seriously the concerns of our students, families and staff, and mahalo them for speaking up because it helps us get better.
When parents first notified us of their concerns about the quality of food served at the Hawai‘i campus, we worked with Flik to take immediate action. We are deeply sorry for their food service experience, and since then, we’ve continued to work diligently with Flik to ensure proper procedures are in place so that our students and staff are served healthy, nutritious and safe food.
We’ve also added new measures, such as training the food staff to ensure proper temperature checks are used to confirm that meals are properly cooked and meet government standards for food preparation. The thermometers used in that process are also routinely calibrated to ensure accurate readings, which are recorded every day.
If anyone suspects that their meal is undercooked, they may request and receive a new meal. We also provide students multiple ways to provide feedback on food services.”
This interview originally aired on The Conversation on March 10, 2022. The Conversation airs at 11 a.m., Monday through Friday, on HPR-1.
