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A student discovered what is believed to be a cornear worm in the lunch he bought in the Hughesville High School cafeteria.

(East Lycoming School District)

HUGHESVILLE -- A student's discovery of what is believed to be a cornear worm in the lunch he bought in the Hughesville High School cafeteria Monday has prompted a complaint to the state Department of Agriculture.

The dead 3/4-inch-long worm was found in a popcorn chicken bowl entree, East Lycoming School District Superintendent Michael D. Pawlik said Tuesday.

The student showed the worm to cafeteria workers who immediately stopped serving that entree and provided him another lunch, he said.

The worm was discovered near the end of the second lunch, the superintendent said, but added there were no other reported discoveries.

"I'm glad he came forward," Pawlik said. All the students handled the situation well, he said.

It is believed the worm came from one of the 30-pound boxes of frozen corn the district received through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's subsidized school food program, Pawlik said.

The district, in a form it submitted to the state Agriculture Department through which the corn was received, said the worm raises food safety concerns.

Popcorn chicken bowl is a popular entree for the 400 to 425 students who eat lunch each school day in the cafeteria, Pawlik said.

It consists of mashed potatoes mixed with corn topped with popcorn chicken and gravy, he explained.

The school district has several boxes of corn remaining but they will not be used, he said. If corn is needed it will be obtained from a private supplier, he said.

The cornear worm is considered a major pest to sweet corn because it damages the kernels.