Primary school in the Midlands forced to apologise for serving Muslim pupils ice cream containing PORK
Parents' fury after supplier provides dessert with gelatine - which is made from pigs
A PRIMARY school has been forced to apologise after Muslim children were accidentally given ice cream containing traces of PORK.
Angry parents have blasted Lodge Primary, in West Bromwich, West Mids., after some pupils ate the dessert which contained gelatine, which is made from pigs.
Muslims traditionally do not eat the meat because it is forbidden as part of the Islamic religion.
The error came after a supplier accidentally sent out the wrong product after the ice-cream dessert was added to the school's menu last week.
Headteacher Lisa Gillam said the mistake was "unacceptable" and sent a letter of apology to parents on Friday.
She said she would be making a formal complaint to SIPS Education who were responsible for the blunder.
In the letter, Ms Gillam said: "I was writing to apologise as today at lunchtime some of the children unfortunately consumed some ice-cream, which contained pork gelatine.
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"New menus were sent out this week and the ice-cream was a new item.
"We have spoken to SIPS, who are in charge of the menus that the school are allocated, and they've informed us the supplier sent the wrong product in error.
"I understand this is not an acceptable reason as we do not serve any products to children that contain products such as gelatin and SIPS is aware of this as the majority of our children have vegetarian food.
"I have informed our chair of governors, Nigel Edge, and will be making a formal complaint on behalf of all parents and children."
Today one angry Muslim dad, who did not wish to be named, criticised the head teacher and said the error should not have been made in the first place.
He said: "My son was mortified that he had consumed pig meat. He said he felt sick.
"It is deeply offensive and insulting to our religion.
"The school has a responsibility to the children and this should not have happened. There should have been checks in place.
"There are a lot of Muslim children at the school and I know a lot of parents are angry."
A spokesman for SIPS Education said: "SIPS Catering is aware of an occurrence whereby a small number of schools have been supplied with a pork-based gelatin product.
"A full and immediate investigation is in progress to resolve this matter."
Lodge Primary School is a mixed school which caters for pupils aged three to 11 and rated "good" by Ofsted at its last inspection in July last year.
There are currently 430 students enrolled, with approximately 30 per cent being Bangladeshi.
Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Whitbread Inn have been serving the meals for three months.
Menus in some outlets still describe the dish as “beef lasagne”.
The move will cause outrage among Jews and Muslims, whose religions forbid the eating of pork.
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