North Olympic Peninsula school districts continue to use poultry and other meat products until they get an all-clear from the federal Department of Agriculture on beef.
The decision to pull beef from school lunch menus — most voluntarily — was triggered when state officials listed about 100 school districts which had received beef from a large supplier of the national school-lunch program.
Cape Flattery, Brinnon and Quilcene were the only public school districts on the North Olympic Peninsula listed by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction as having ordered beef from Westland Meat Co. of Chino, Calif., in November or December.
Federal officials are looking into allegations that Westland used meat from “downer” cows — those that cannot stand or walk.
As a precaution, Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Chimacum, Sequim and Quillayute Valley school districts temporarily pulled beef from their menus even though the districts weren’t listed.
“We are readjusting our menus until we get further notice from the USDA,” said Laurie Campen, food services director at Sequim School District.
“Right now we have some ground turkey and other meats, so we are taking the beef stuff off the menu.”
