Oversight leads to distribution of Cold War-era meat in Poland

Some 200 tonnes of Cold War-era meat, some as old as 26 years, has been delivered to Polish pre-schools, nursing homes and grocery stores after controllers overlooked the expiry dates, local media reported on Thursday.

Some 200 tonnes of Cold War-era meat, some as old as 26 years, has been delivered to Polish pre-schools, nursing homes and grocery stores after controllers overlooked the expiry dates, local media reported on Thursday.

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The Swedish canned products were made in the early 1980s for Sweden's army. The cans were later exported for use as animal feed only, TVN 24 reported.

But food companies in Poland have been using the meat for products like dumplings and sausages, which have been served in the country for the past three years, TVN 24 reported.

Sweden decided to sell the canned meat in 1999 and made a deal with Poland in 2007 for the sale of 100,000 cans.

Sweden's farming ministry said the sales agreement specified the meat couldn't be sold for human consumption inside the European Union.

The meat was marked not saleable to keep it from affecting industry prices, not due to health reasons, the ministry said. The ministry added that Poland wasn't an EU member at the time that Sweden decided to sell the meat.

But the meat was found to be potentially poisonous after an analysis by researchers at the University of Agriculture in Cracow, TVN 24 said.