Tuna sandwiches are the new scarlet letter in Cherry Hill | Opinion

Growing up Catholic in South Jersey in the 1960s, I considered tuna fish salad sandwiches to be the No. 2 reason to look forward to Friday.

I still enjoy them, layering potato chips between the tuna and the bread. And when Jersey tomatoes are in season, you know a couple slices will be included.

So I am left to ponder how they’ve become a stigmatizing symbol.

I first became aware of its Scarlet Letter status thanks to the Cherry Hill School District. It seems that some families there, like many around the country, are in arrears on their school lunch payments.

The district says the families of 343 students owe $14,343, or about $42 each. Cherry Hill has an annual household income of $89,000 so anyone owing $42 must either be forgetful or in deep need.

To rein in the debt, the district proposed giving students owing more than $10 tuna sandwiches and cutting them off altogether at the $20 mark. (A suggested alternative was to raise the threshold to $25 and $60. A revised policy is expected Sept. 10.)

At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Oliver Adler, student body president at well-off Cherry Hill East High School, said the “easily recognizable tuna fish sandwich” would become a “badge of shame.”

While I appreciate the young Mr. Adler’s concern about the possible shaming of other students, I object to one of my favorite sandwiches as being considered less than acceptable.

Now I know some people believe tuna fish smells bad (it doesn’t) and it has had its issues in the past (mercury), but for many unashamed Americans it is a regular luncheon choice.

According to the National Fisheries Institute Tuna Council, the United States is the second largest consumer of canned tuna behind the European Union. It is the second most popular seafood product after shrimp in the United States with Americans eating more than 2 ½ pounds per capita annually.

And it is nutritious, rich in protein and low in fat — except for the mayonnaise needed for any decent tuna salad sandwich.

That said, I know it is not to everyone’s taste and I would object to forcing anyone to eat a tuna sandwich. The least Cherry Hill could do is offer another alternative.

But I will not accept a favorite lunch being considered a badge of shame. No good food should be seen in an unfavorable light, not even peanut butter and jelly.

Meanwhile, perhaps the people of Cherry Hill can band together and create a lunch fund because even a town as well off as Cherry Hill has people who are in real need.

Joseph A. Gambardello has been a journalist here and abroad for 43 years.