Expired Philmont Food

[txbobber 10]

I took a group of boys on a High Adventure Trip to Chimayo Scout Camp which is now Gorham Scout Camp recently and we were issued Philmont Food for our Trek. We did not notice until a few of us got sick on the trip that some of the food had expired in 2008, 2009 and 2010. We then avoided those products and ate what food did not have expiration dates but almost ran out of food for the 4 day Trek. When arriving back at camp we were told that BSA instructed them not to throw food out until it became over 3 years expired. We had stale crackers, canned tuna and canned chicken that made people sick. Has anyone ever heard of this, I have always thrown away products when they reach their expiration date?

[FScouter 24]

On my recent backpack I took some leftover Philmont food that "expired" in 2006. Yummy! Absolutely perfect. I'd say if people are getting sick, remind them to wash their hands after pooping.

[txbobber 10]

I was one of the adults that got sick and I always wash my hands after pooping, the culprit seems to be canned chicken and tuna that expired in 08 and 09 along with some stale crackers, everything else that did not have an expiration date was perfect.

[Porteiro 10]

On a recent camp out I ate a dehydrated meal that expired in 2006.

 

Canned meat, on the other hand, I'd be more cautious with.

[Eagledad 2777]

>>On my recent backpack I took some leftover Philmont food that "expired" in 2006. Yummy! Absolutely perfect. I'd say if people are getting sick, remind them to wash their hands after pooping.

[Abel Magwitch 10]

About 5 years ago at summer camp, our troop was issued hot dog buns that were two months old and moldy.

 

This must be a national trend for the BSA to tell their councils to issue out of date food to save a buck.

 

Too funny.

[FScouter 24]

Unless the can is rusting, leaking, or bulging, it is perfectly safe, if not at the peak of flavor. Tell the cook to wash his hands too - and eat off a clean plate, not one that has been wiped off on the seat of your pants and stuffed into your pack.

 

I lament that the national trend seems to be to expect perfection from everyone, and to blame all mishaps on someone else,

[perdidochas 658]

I would be very irritated to hear that a Philmont Crew was served out of date products. A Philmont expedition is a major undertaking for a troop, and to be fed old food (even if it's safe, it's not going to taste good). Is this a common occurrence?

[kari_cardi 10]

Did you see this comment in the 'What First Aid?' thread by TAHAWK? Interesting. http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=321484

 

 

 

GI complaints happen for a lot of reasons and the cause can be hard to pin down, especially in mild cases that do't require hospitalization. I'd suspect the quality of the canned meat over the can dates as an issue, canned meats are frequently recalled.

[RichardB 219]

txbobber, please contact the council or the camp with your issues so they can be addressed.

 

This council is ready and willing to engage the allegations but would need someone to step forward with specifics to a trek that would have happened several weeks ago due to the fires.

 

'tis also noteworthy that some councils take advantage of bulk buys and every year buy new product along with PSR.

(This message has been edited by richardb)

[Abel Magwitch 10]

F Scouter, give the paying volunteers and their Scouts food that has not expired. The Scouts and their volunteer leaders pay fees and should not have to accept out of date food. Shame on that council.

 

Quite frankly, I would give the 5 year old outdated philmont food to the pros taking PD 1,2 and 3. Of course the food would be perfectly fine - for the newbie pros.

 

Supplying non-expired food to Scouts is not perfection, it is providing the Scouts a quality product. Supplying food that expired in 2008, 2009 and 2010 is totally unacceptable.

 

National likes to throw around words like "quality". It is apparent that Scouters got sick from outdated food.

 

The council should not serve outdated food and those in charge of making the decisions to supply the Scouts with outdated food need to go back to TX to get remedial training.(This message has been edited by abel magwitch)

[eisely 13]

This makes me wonder if we were issued expired food on our Philmont treks.

 

I would never consider issuing expired food to anyone for an outing. If someone really got sick and incurred major medical expense, or even died, guess where the attorneys would look first. Why would anyone run that risk, particularly at a BSA national high adventure base?

[FScouter 24]

What's not acceptable if anything is poor management of food stores, stock rotation, usage projections, order quantities. Suspect kid Scouts and volunteers are involved here. The food is fine. The printed date means best qualtity before . Not DANGER, turns to poison after . Sheesh, try eating dinner fixed by a typical Scout patrol sometime.

 

And you know of course that if it was "discovered" that a camp was covertly disposing of "expired" food a loud cry would arise about the waste of money and resources. Different people complaining of course. BSA cannot win.

[desertrat77 1144]

FScouter,

 

I hereby award you the first-ever "Wagon Circling" knot, for exemplary adherence to the company line, for always rushing to the defense of every official BSA policy and action, no matter how inane or inappropriate or poorly executed said policy or action might be.

 

Wear it in good health.

[Abel Magwitch 10]

And I have been told that moldy bread won't kill me either. But since good money was paid for a promised quality summer camp program by the council, the moldy hot dog buns were unsatisfactory.

 

I should have donated them to TX.