School food

[BrummyMummy]

Just looking for advice really. I have heard that the caterers at my DD's independent school have taken to serving some fish called Pangas, apparently just decribed generically as fish to the children. From what I have managed to discover these are incredibly cheap imports but also potentially polluted and toxic. Does anyone know anything about it, as I know Google can sometimes be wrong? If it's true I think it is incredibly insulting given the high cost of the meals at the school. DD is not sure whether she's eaten any, and I've told her to avoid fish at school from now on, but I'm still worried about the other children. Would be grateful for any ideas what to do without being labelled (not for the first time!) as a trouble maker.

[Tracy]

I'd steer clear of this too!
I think that regardless of being labelled a trouble maker, you need to address this issue with the Head.
Also try telling a few of the other parents, the uptake of the fish dinners will plummet and pangas will be off the menu.

[mike1880]

The dangers of pangasius are wildly exaggerated (be realistic - do you really think it's legal to import food of that quality into the EU?), local fishing and fish farming interests in many countries round the world have launched some very effective scare campaigns to preserve their markets against it. However - there is no smoke without fire, there have been examples of contaminated fish entering the market in Germany, Russia and the US. As with most food issues, the solution (not very helpful in the case of school meals, I admit) is to avoid processed foods containing fish. After all, if you know what went into it you can have a lot more confidence about whether you should be eating it or not.

Mike