Eyebrows were raised and stomachs turned last week when news broke that hundreds of thousands of cans of old meat had found their way onto the Polish market.
The cans of processed beef and pork hailed from Sweden, and they were created over 20 years ago for storage purposes during the Cold War.
The Swedish Agricultural Ministry, which recently oversaw the sale of the goods, claims that the meat was not intended for human consumption. Still, it transpires that the cans have been sold to nursing homes, schools and grocery stores, and the contents rehashed as popular dishes such as pierogi.
The contract was secured with a Krakow-based distributor in 2007, but the Swedish government is distancing itself from subsequent sales.
Technically, meat can remain edible if properly treated, but this becomes questionable with products of high fat content. Scientists from Krakow's University of Agriculture maintain that the cans in question could indeed lead to poisoning.
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