Seymour questions responsibility for mouldy lunches at Christchurch school

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour is pushing back on claims that a food supplier is to blame for mould-covered lunches served to Christchurch students, suggesting the meals may have spoiled after arriving at the school rather than during production.

Speaking to state-funded media, Seymour said it was premature to point the finger at Compass, the company contracted to supply the meals, and argued the situation warranted a fuller investigation. He also levelled criticism at Haeata Community Campus principal Peggy Burrows, describing her as a “frequent flyer” in the media on various government issues.

Burrows rejected any suggestion her school mishandled the food, saying deliveries are made daily and all leftover items are removed at the end of each day.

Seymour accused the media of making assumptions, saying he remained “open-minded” about what had actually caused the contamination. He added that Burrows’ vocal presence in public debate should be considered when weighing her comments.

The incident prompted a food poisoning alert on Monday after several children were served lunches with thick mould growth. Seymour, who oversees the school lunches programme as Associate Education Minister, insisted no students had fallen ill and maintained it was unclear whether the fault lay with the school or the supplier.

Burrows said she was “horrified” by Seymour’s remarks, arguing that her role requires her to advocate strongly for a community already facing significant hardship.

“I’m privileged to be able to speak for this community,” she said. “Right now, ensuring this situation is exposed is one of the most important things we can do to highlight just how vulnerable our families are — and how unacceptable this has been.”