You might not take your kids all that seriously when they complain about the gross mystery meat served in their school cafeteria, but the children in some schools in Hawkins County, Tennessee had a right to complain last week when they were served pork that had been sitting in the freezer since 2009.

As long as it has always been kept at a consistent and cold temperature, 6-year-old meat isn’t going to make people sick, but it might not necessarily be appetizing, either. A school employee sent a mobile phone photo of the not-so-mysterious meat to the county commissioner.

“Here in Hawkins County, we have a lot of kids that go to school and that might be the only meal they get all day long,” the commish told TV station WJHL. “It just upsets me that these kids are going to school to get that meat.”

He reports that a cafeteria worker told him that the school made gravy for the pork roast, which is a time-honored method of dealing with meats that have problematic textures and flavors. However, the news that their kids were served meat that had been sitting in a freezer that long shocked parents in the community.

Reviews from cafeterias at individual schools varied, but were overall positive. The chicken fajitas served that day seemed to be more popular with kids overall, though.

“As soon as you tasted the pork, [and] it was just as soon as you tasted it, me and a friend both, it was not good,” a high school student explained to the TV station.

6-year-old lunch meat served to students in Hawkins County, TN [WJHL]
Hawkins Co. parents search for answers after 6-year-old pork served to students [WJHL] (Thanks, Kelly!)

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