Two years ago the Globe covered a controversy regarding the Boston Public Schools serving expired foods. At that time, parents correctly raised concerns about the nutritional quality and social meaning of serving expired food. Concerns such as those were addressed to a degree in Monday’s article on the Urban Food Initiative (“Putting expired foods to healthy use,” Page A1), but they warrant further discussion as we grapple with reducing nutritional inequalities.
Food security is a measure of social disadvantage. Central to its definition is the ability to acquire food in socially acceptable ways. For many parents in the Boston schools, serving expired foods to children was unacceptable. Likewise, many Boston residents may feel that it is unacceptable to sell expired food to low-income residents.
Comments
That's the right thing, huh? The poor get vouchers for free organic farmstand food and us working people can buy the marked down almost expired food...just because you are poor doesn't mean you should have less than the best...why settle for affordable. That sense of entitlement keeps these people from striving to do better. If you go to the right offices, your free benefits will afford you a comfortable tax free lifestyle. No generic foods for them either, I hear it is bad for their self esteem, but I serve it to my family, because it affordable...and day old bakery items and such.