Students at Liberty Middle School made an unwelcome discovery at breakfast.Time Warner Cable News reporter Jackson Wang has the details.
LIBERTY, N.Y. -- It was a disturbing and disgusting find for students at Liberty Middle School, and their parents.
“You don’t want you kids eating bugs or roaches or any insects at all because that’s not an environment to be eating food at,” said Shirley Gonzalez, a grandparent of a student at the middle school.
School officials say students found mealworms inside packages of brown sugar and strawberry flavored Pop-Tarts Wednesday morning. The bugs weren't detected before because of the sealed packaging. Once the Food Service Department was notified, all pop tarts in the district were immidately thrown out.
“I think that is very disgusting and very unfair for the kids because if they see it, they maybe wouldn’t want to eat nothing in the school anymore,” Gonzalez said.
In a statement, the school said "Food service staff will continue to monitor all packaged and fresh foods to help ensure the health and safety of everyone who consumes school meals."
About two weeks ago, cockroaches were found in prepared breakfast meals at a Monticello School District middle school.
Parents we spoke with say they didn't expect a similar find in Liberty.
“They’ve never had a problem like this that I’ve heard of before,” Gonzalez said.
Driscoll Foods and Kellogg's are expected to launch an investigation. The district says it will no longer give students Pop-Tarts as part of school breakfasts.
Meanwhile, any parents with concerns are encouraged to contact the school nurse or their own doctor.