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Maine High School Accidentally Serves Baked Potting Soil as Dessert

School officials say the error exposes lapses in how nonfood classroom materials were stored and handled during a busy community supper.

Overview

  • A foil-covered dish of potting soil that students had baked to sterilize for a science project was mistakenly brought out as a dessert during the Empty Bowl Supper on Wednesday.
  • Students baked the soil earlier in the day to kill pathogens before later using it to test plant growth in a classroom activity.
  • Three students briefly put the soil in their mouths before staff discovered the mix-up and removed the dish from service.
  • Administrators say they contacted the families involved, spoke with the students, posted an apology on the school Facebook page, and stressed the incident was accidental and not a prank.
  • The school event is a longrunning community fundraiser and the episode highlights the need for clearer labeling and separation of classroom materials from food during events, which could prompt procedural changes at the school.