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Jennings schools put major food service company on notice after moldy bread served in cafeteria

"They’re officially on notice. That notice means, if they can’t make an A, they can’t stay," says Superintendent Art McCoy

JENNINGS, Mo. — No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. That picture shows green and black mold on a hamburger bun.

It was served last week in a local high school's cafeteria.

Superintendent Art McCoy says he's furious.

"There’s no excuse and I don’t accept any excuses like this. We expect the best from our staff and teachers and so forth, so I expect the best from our partners," said McCoy.

Their partner is Aramark, a food service giant that services everything from schools and prisons to hospitals and even sports stadiums.

McCoy says he was first alerted of the issue last Wednesday after a parent complained.

A few days later, the manager and staff member on duty were removed from the staff at Jennings Senior High.

Aramark will also now have to comply with new rigorous benchmarks.

"Daily checks, weekly report cards, bi-weekly outside audits from [an] outside external team. Those were some of the measures I demanded. In addition to additional staffing for food management production," McCoy said.

It doesn't end there.

"They’re officially on notice. That notice means, if they can’t make an A, they can’t stay," he said.

McCoy also said the way the contract is structured, Jennings can cut ties due to quality control concerns once a year. It's an option he isn't afraid to use.

"Our children deserve quality food, quality service," McCoy said.

The superintendent also sent out letters to parents, acknowledging the incident and included letters from Aramark executives apologizing for the incident.

We also reached out to Aramark for this story. Here is their full statement:

"Serving safe, nutritious food is our top priority. Unfortunately, it was brought to our attention last week that some food items were served that did not meet our high quality standards. We apologize to the Jennings school community and are reviewing procedures with the staff at the school to ensure this does not happen again." 

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