New Jersey Children Hospitalized After Being Served Sanitizer Chemical in Their Milk Cartons at School

On Wednesday, at least 25 New Jersey preschool and kindergarten students were sent to the hospital after being served milk cartons that were filled with sanitizer. The cartons had apparently been filled with sanitizer used to clean machines that fill the cartons according to Camden City Schools.

The cartons were sealed and shipped out before anyone noticed according to the district.

Mercer County, New Jersey put out an emergency recall notice on their Facebook page.

“PRODUCT RECALL EMERGENCY — The New Jersey Department of Health’s Public Health and Food Protection Program is requesting all local health departments to check each public school’s cafeterias for the presence of Guida’s brand milk, of any type, size, and code date, and issue an embargo or otherwise prohibit the distribution of the milk. At least 25 children have been hospitalized due to the presence of peroxyacetic sanitizer in Guida’s 1% Lowfat Milk, code dated 09-183 Apr 11 B2. Other code dates of Guida’s milk may be affected as well. Please notify Alan Talarsky, Dairy, Juice, Bottled Water, and Recalls Project at alan.talarsky@doh.nj.gov with the locations and quantities found.”

According to NJ1015, “A 911 call was placed on Wednesday morning by staff at Camden’s Early Childhood Development Center on Pine Street after two dozen children drank milk from ‘sealed cartons with an unidentified substance that had an antiseptic-like odor to it,’ the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services said”

It appears 32 students from Camden’s Early Childhood Development Center were taken to two different hospitals, thankfully all were examined and discharged later in the morning.

Riletta Twyne Early Childhood Development also called 911 and five preschool children were taken to a hospital and doctors were sent to the school to examine 15 more students.

At least four schools were found to have been impacted by the sealed milk containers with sanitizer in them. Mercery county is working with the state Department of Health and the Camden City School District to investigate the situation.

All who were exposed to the contaminated milk have been released from the hospitals are in stable condition according to Camden County Health Officer Paschal Nwako.