Sumter School District responds to concerned parent’s photo of school lunch

SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) - A parent at the Bates Middle School in Sumter said her child had an undercooked burger in their lunch recently. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said this concern is shared with other parents about lunches not being prepared properly.

A photo taken of a recent lunch was shared on social media and discussed online. WIS reached out to Shelly Galloway, the spokeswoman for Sumter County Schools. Galloway said the patty was not undercooked,

“Sumter School District does not purchase or prepare hamburger patties from the “raw state.” Hamburger patties are purchased fully cooked, and staff are trained to prepare the fully-cooked patties to a minimum internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Food safety school documentation from November 2 indicates that the patties were prepared to a minimum internal temp of 166 degrees Fahrenheit. The discoloration is a result of the patties being prepared too closely together, and this has been addressed with our staff.”

WIS spoke with the parent after the district responded. She said she understands they have a process but says workers still need to ensure the food is cooked before serving it to students. She said her child will be bringing lunches from home from now on.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.

Copyright 2022 WIS. All rights reserved.