From prime to offal: Compass puts cheap cuts on school lunch menu

The Compass Group has started using a cheaper mince blend. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 15 Jul 2025

The School Lunch Collective has started using a cheaper offal mince blend, a move that has raised compliance questions. The supplier, headed by the Compass Group, quietly updated its website to disclose the use of “beef trim/heart“ only after BusinessDesk and regulators made inquiries late last week. BusinessDesk understands the value blend, which is 50% beef trim and 50% beef heart, is about 25% cheaper than pure beef mince. Disclosure required under food code Beef heart is classified as offal under the Austra...

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