PORTLAND, Ore. — In a concerning incident at a Tigard middle school, students were inadvertently served pretzels tainted with oven cleaner earlier this week, school officials confirmed.
Fowler Middle School reached out to parents via email, explaining that the contamination occurred when a granular form of oven cleaner was “mistakenly applied” to the pretzels served to students.
“We’ve understandably received substantial concern regarding Monday’s food contamination incident,” the email stated. “An oven cleaner in granular form was mistakenly applied to pretzels. We apologize for this occurrence. Our priority at Fowler and throughout the District is the safety and well-being of our students. An event like this shakes the trust we’ve worked hard to establish.”
Following the mishap, district officials informed KOIN that they promptly contacted the Oregon Poison Control Center, identified the students who may have been affected, and monitored them for any symptoms. However, the exact cause of the contamination remains undetermined.
The email also mentioned that an investigation is currently underway, although further details have not been disclosed.
“A formal inquiry is in progress,” the message continued. “While we are unable to share extensive details during this process, rest assured it is being addressed with the utmost seriousness and care. We are thoroughly reviewing all safety protocols to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.”
On Tuesday, KOIN spoke with a parent, Kianna Bell, who received a voicemail from the school that her child had eaten one of the contaminated pretzels.
“This is Sharon Mitchell with Hazel or — Fowler Middle School, and you should have received communication sent out today regarding the food contamination. During sixth grade lunch, your student reported that they ate at least a part of a pretzel that was sprinkled with oven cleaner.”
Bell, as well as other parents, are saying they deserve a clear answer about what happened.
“Because they haven’t given us any contextual information, it’s pretty much just like we follow protocol, we call poison control. We’re managing symptoms,” Bell said. “But I want accountability. I want preventative measure. I want an investigation. I want an explanation. Without that, all I can do is speculate.”
