CT Dairy Recalls Milk After Sanitizer-tainted Milk Sickens School Children

A Connecticut dairy issued a recall for cartons of milk after 45 students and one staff member  from a NJ school were sent to hospitals for evaluation after consuming sanitizer-tainted milk.
"The investigation started Wednesday after an early childhood development center in Camden County, NJ called 911 to report that 25 children had ingested milk that had an "antiseptic-like odor," according to county officials. A similar report was made by another early childhood development center in New Jersey."

Cases like this are good reminders of the importance of evaluating processes as part of the Hazard Analysis for residual sanitizers, especially where CIP systems are used and where there are opportunities for residual to remain in piping/tank systems.  These cases are also useful in training sanitation staff and line operators.

https://patch.com/connecticut/across-ct/guidas-dairy-investigated-over-contaminated-milk-incident

Guida's Dairy Investigated Over Contaminated Milk Incident

Connecticut-based Guida's Dairy is being investigated after children in New Jersey ingested milk that contained diluted sanitizer.

Rich Scinto,

Patch Staff

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Updated Thu, Mar 31, 2022 at 4:30 pm ET

CONNECTICUT — The state Department of Agriculture is investigating Guida's Dairy in New Britain after some of its milk products were found to contain diluted sanitizer.

The investigation started Wednesday after an early childhood development center in Camden County, NJ called 911 to report that 25 children had ingested milk that had an "antiseptic-like odor," according to county officials. A similar report was made by another early childhood development center in New Jersey.

A total of 45 students and one staff member were sent to hospitals for evaluation. Camden County health officials said that everyone who was exposed to the milk has been released.

A preliminary investigation found that the contamination is limited to milk cartons that were processed within a specific time frame, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. The milk had a limited distribution in New Jersey.

Guida's told Patch in a statement that the contamination occurred when, "a food-grade sanitizer diluted with water was inadvertently introduced during production."

The affected milk isn't sold at grocery stores and is limited to institutional customers. The company has advised institutional customers to dispose of all 1% low-fat half-pint milk cartons with a sell-by date of April 11 out of an abundance of caution.

Guida's Dairy is cooperating fully with the Connecticut investigation, according to the Department of Agriculture.

New JerseyFOX 29 Philadelphia
https://www.fox29.com/news/new-jersey-issues-statewide-recall-of-cafeteria-milk-containing-sanitizer
New Jersey issues statewide recall of cafeteria milk that may contain sanitizer
Published March 30, 2022 9:46PMUpdated March 31, 2022 6:05AM

TRENTON - New Jersey has issued a statewide recall of a specific brand of school cafeteria milk after officials said it contained sanitizer that sickened several students when they unknowingly drank it.

The New Jersey Department of Health’s Public Health on Wednesday encouraged public schools to remove Guida's 1% Lowfat Milk from circulation in their cafeterias. Officials said at least 25 children have been hospitalized due to the presence of peroxyacetic sanitizer in milk with the date code 09-183 Apr 11 B2.

The health department fears that other batches of milk could also be tainted.

The statewide recall comes after emergency teams were called to the Early Childhood Development Center in Camden Wednesday after sanitizer was discovered in milk cartons, according to the school district.

According to tweets released by Camden Schools, it was determined that some of the cartons contained a "non-toxic consumable sanitizer that runs through the vendor machines prior to milk."

The Camden County Health Department said first responders were also called to Riletta Twyne Cream Childhood Development Center where five children were sent to Cooper Medical Center and discharged in the afternoon. Cooper University Healthcare sent doctors to the school to examine 15 children who were cleared to go home, the district said.

"This was a scary situation but thankfully, everyone who was exposed to the milk is in stable condition and either back at school or home," Camden County Health Officer Paschal Nwako said.

The district said so far there are four schools impacted by the tainted milk and preliminary testing was conducted. Officials are in communication with the milk company about taking the product out of circulation.




"This investigation is ongoing, and our department will get to the bottom of this situation," Nwako said.