According to The Baltimore Sun, the Harford County Public School System has notified parents that recalled Farm Rich products were served to students this last week. The products are linked to a nationwide E. coli O121 outbreak. A spokesperson for the schools said, “our Food and Nutrition Office was notified late yesterday evening that pepperoni pizzatas, a food item served in the cafeterias, has been voluntarily recalled by the product manufacturer for potential E. coli contamination.” On April 4, the USDA updated their recall to include foodservice products that were shipped to institutions such as schools.
The schools that served the Farm Rich pizzatas on Wednesday were: Aberdeen Middle School, Bakerfield Elementary, Bel Air Elementary, Bel Air High School, Edgewood High School, Forest Hill Elementary, Forest Lakes Elementary, Fountain Green Elementary, Havre de Grace Elementary, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary, Lisby Hillsdale Elementary, Meadowvale Elementary, Prospect Mill Elementary, Ring Factory Elementary, and William S. James Elementary. Parents should monitor their children for any signs of E. coli infection, including severe watery and/or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach and abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and mild fever.
The letter states, in part: “Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s): Rich Products Corporation of Buffalo, New York announced a national voluntary recall of certain Farm Rich products, specifically Pepperoni Pizzatas, and the Hartford County Public Schools (HCPS) Food and Nutrition Office was notified of the recall late Wednesday Evening.
“As a result of this recall, in addition to the Pepperoni Pizzatas, HCPS immediately removed from our cafeterias ALL products from this manufacturer, in an abundance of caution. As of today, there have been no reported cases of illness in Maryland related to this recall. However, if your child consumed the product and is now experiencing diarrhea, please contact your health care provider. Your school nurse should also be informed. If you have questions regarding the food product recall, please contact the HCPS FOod and Nutrition Office at 410-638-4078.”
Even if a child has only a mild illness, she should still be seen by a doctor, since E. coli infections can affect health in the future. Patients have an increased risk of developing kidney problems, heart disease, and high blood pressure later in life.
