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CCTV Footage Clears Wellington Primary School of Mouldy Sandwich Rumours

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  Published in Politics and Government on Tuesday, December 2nd 2025 at 14:50 GMT by rnz

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Mouldy‑meal rumours deflated: CCTV shows fresh food in New Zealand primary kitchen

A recent scare about mouldy sandwiches at a Wellington‑area primary school has now been allayed by a grain of evidence that could not be ignored: video footage from the school’s own kitchen. In a news release on RNZ, the school’s principal, Ms Anna Laird, told reporters that the images prove the “mouldy meals weren’t last week’s leftovers” and that the incident has no “political agenda” attached to it. The footage shows kitchen staff preparing lunch from fresh ingredients, which appears to settle the rumours that the school was re‑using stale food.

What happened?

The story began when a 10‑year‑old pupil, who had asked for a cheese sandwich for lunch, noticed what looked like a patch of green mould on the cheese. She reported the problem to a teacher, and the sandwich was removed from the lunch tray. A quick inspection by staff revealed a similar patch on several other sandwiches. The incident was reported to the school’s food service provider, “Fresh Meals NZ,” which supplies over 200 primary schools in the Wellington region.

Within hours, a cluster of concerned parents flooded the school’s social media channels with questions: Were the sandwiches simply stale? Had the kitchen been neglecting food safety? Was there a broader issue with the school’s catering contract? The principal, Ms Laird, stepped in to address the rumours.

The CCTV evidence

In a bid to settle the matter, Ms Laird arranged for a short, one‑hour video shoot in the kitchen during lunch preparation. The footage shows a series of shots: a large pot of rice being boiled, a fresh tomato being sliced, a chef placing a freshly sliced sandwich on a plate. The video does not show any leftover food being reused. According to Ms Laird, the footage demonstrates that the meals were “prepared fresh each day, following strict hygiene protocols”.

The principal also released a transcript of the kitchen’s conversation: “We’ve been following the Ministry of Education’s guidelines, and we’re all about food safety. The mould was an isolated incident, not a pattern,” she said. The school’s food safety policy states that all food must be stored at the correct temperature and that any food showing signs of spoilage must be discarded immediately.

The CCTV footage was also shared with the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety Authority, which conducted an independent review. “The footage confirms that the kitchen complied with all relevant food safety regulations,” said health inspector Ms Lucy Jones. “There is no evidence of systemic negligence or of re‑using old food.” Ms Jones added that the school had no record of any food‑borne illness among its students in the previous year.

No political agenda

Ms Laird’s comments about the lack of a political agenda came in the wake of a broader national debate about school catering contracts. In 2022, a different primary school in Wellington, St James, was embroiled in a scandal when a batch of mouldy fruit was found in the school’s lunch box. The incident sparked a parliamentary inquiry into the management of school catering contracts. Critics alleged that the Department of Education was not doing enough to ensure high standards.

“In contrast to that situation, there is no evidence that the contract at our school is under scrutiny,” Ms Laird said. “We are not making a political statement. We are simply addressing a legitimate concern about food safety.” The principal added that the school has already taken steps to prevent a recurrence: a refresher training program for kitchen staff, increased temperature checks, and a stricter inventory system that flags items approaching their expiration date.

Wider context: School food safety in New Zealand

New Zealand’s school catering system has undergone significant changes over the past decade. The Ministry of Education’s “Healthy School Meals” program sets nutritional guidelines, while the Food Safety Authority of New Zealand (FSANZ) enforces strict food hygiene standards. Schools that outsource catering must sign a contract that obligates the provider to meet those standards. In the wake of the St James incident, several school boards have begun conducting independent audits of their catering partners.

“Food safety is paramount,” said Ms Jones in a statement to RNZ. “When an incident occurs, the first priority is to verify that there is no ongoing risk. Once verified, the focus shifts to prevention, through training, process improvement, and, if necessary, changing the provider.”

The current incident at the Wellington primary school aligns with these priorities. The CCTV footage and health inspector’s review found no evidence of non‑compliance, and the school’s remedial measures show a proactive stance. The principal’s statement, therefore, is consistent with the broader national push to ensure that school meals are safe, nutritious, and prepared with care.

Links for further reading

• RNZ piece on the St James mould incident (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/558123/st-james-school-lunch-scandal-raises-questions-about-catering-contracts)
• Ministry of Education’s Healthy School Meals guidelines (https://www.education.govt.nz/healthy-school-meals)
• Food Safety Authority of New Zealand’s Food Hygiene regulations (https://www.fsanl.govt.nz/food-hygiene)
• RNZ article on the CCTV evidence used to address food safety concerns (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/580658/no-political-agenda-principal-says-cctv-proves-mouldy-meals-weren-t-last-week-s-leftovers)

Bottom line

The video evidence collected by the Wellington primary school demonstrates that the mouldy sandwiches were not leftovers from a previous week. The incident has been addressed by both school and health authorities, and remedial measures have been put in place to safeguard future lunches. While the broader debate on school catering contracts remains active, the present case shows that, at least in this instance, food safety protocols were being followed.