School kitchens taking the heat

Feb 25 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

SCHOOL kitchens across the North East have failed basic hygiene and health and safety rules, a Journal investigation has shown.

Menus contained misleading information describing food as organic or homemade when it wasn’t and grubby floors and cupboards were reported in a number of premises.

Mouse droppings were found in one school and inspectors voiced fears dirt could attract rodents in others.

Using the Freedom of Information Act we accessed all the latest environmental health inspection reports of each council across the region.

Our investigation discovered that several staff toilets didn’t have soap or hand-drying facilities and two didn’t have hot running water.

Environmental Health Officers found that kitchens were understaffed, uniforms were not up to standard and out-of-date food was discovered in fridges.

Rockcliffe First School, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, advertised that burgers were “100% organic beef burgers,” but those found on site were not organic.

Whitburn County Primary School, South Tyneside, said some dishes on its menu contained ‘fresh fruit’ when they contained tinned fruit as well, as did Mortimer Comprehensive, South Shields.

Meanwhile despite advertising ‘low fat chips’ on its menu, St Joseph’s RC Primary School, subsequently deep-fried them, misleading pupils.

At County First School, Amble, inspectors noted that ‘the hand wash basin did not appear to be in regular use,’ and that a trolley was ‘blocking its use.’

Mouse droppings were found in a boiler cupboard at Longbenton Community College, Longbenton, North Tyneside.

Prestigious girls’ school La Sagesse in Jesmond lost its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) log, a recommended system of food safety management, before its visit.

Its report read: “I was disappointed to learn that your documented HACCP system has been lost and that the structural and cleanliness standards of the premises were generally found to be poor.”

It was also threatened with a Hygiene Improvement Notice if conditions were not improved.

There were “inadequate” cooking facilities at Ovingham Middle School, Northumberland, with only one of three cookers operational.

Last night campaigners said parents would expect nothing more than a high standard for their children.

Laura Warren, from the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA), said: “Nationally there are a lot of areas where they don’t have school kitchens and in an area where they you do have them it seems a shame that they are not at a high standard that parents would expect.

“The provision of food that’s being prepared in a clean and safe environment is critical for our children.

“It may not be down to individual people not caring, it may well be that the provision may need updating. If parents are opting for their children to have a school meal then their expectation is that it’s of a high standard.

“Parents will be looking for quality meals prepared in a clean environment and service by people who have acceptable standards of hygiene themselves.

“It’s simply not acceptable that toilets do not have soap and hand drying facilities. Every school will have a governing body that will have a responsibility to make sure that these facilities are there and up and running.”

Alan Beith, MP for Berwick, said last night he was surprised at the findings but added that often recommendations are put in place to improve kitchen hygiene – not necessarily because there is a problem.

He said: “I have visited schools in Northumberland and have generally found high standards and clean kitchens which are setting an example to children and to the outer community about cleanliness. Generally you find them to be very clean, sometimes with older equipment but still scrubbed and cleaned to a high standard.

“Sometimes you find that health inspectors find recommendations for improvement and that’s important – that it’s not necessarily something they are doing wrong but it’s an improvement.

“You have to put this into proportion. Schools generally, over the years, set a high standard of cleanliness. They can become quite stretched by staff reductions and the economy over the years.”