HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Department of Health is investigating after nine children fell ill at an elementary school on Oahu.
The illnesses were confirmed after a recall by Meadow Gold Dairy for half-pint-sized chocolate milk.
State officials said approximately 70,000 units were distributed statewide, including at nearly 200 schools on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.
State epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble told Hawaii News Now that the children experienced gastrointestinal symptoms, such as stomach aches and vomiting.
Kemble said the school reported the children fell ill “after consuming chocolate milk, but we are still investigating.
“So we haven’t yet clarified if they all drank the same batch of milk or not, and whether it had a weird smell or what kind of exact symptoms they’re experiencing,” she added.
There were no reports of hospitalization, Kemble said.
Meadow Gold has provided a list of establishments that received the recalled product. Click here to view the locations where the milk was distributed.
Kemble did not specify the impacted school.
On Tuesday, Kapalama Elementary’s principal sent a letter to parents that read “several students reported feeling ill after lunch.”
Tiare Arreisgaddo is a parent at Kapalama Elementary. Her child did not get sick, but heard of the illnesses.
“I want to say disgust. I’m thinking about improper storage. Perhaps the milk wasn’t stored at the right temperature,” Arreisgaddo said.
Kemble said an intermediate school on Maui also reported that the milk had an “abnormal texture.”
“It was coming out with a thicker texture, kind of like chocolate pudding,” she said.
Kemble said no one drank the milk and no symptoms were reported there.
“After some investigation, it looked like those chocolate milk had the same expiration date,” Kemble said. “We were able to get in touch with Meadow Gold and they immediately wanted to issue this voluntary recall because of concerns that this milk was not meeting quality control.”
Officials said the milk was made and packaged out of state, and received on Sept. 29. The recall applies only to Meadow Gold brand chocolate milk marked “OCT 16” on the top of the single-serving containers.
Certain high schools provide lunches to smaller secondary campuses. Parents and guardians are advised to check if their children’s schools are among those who receive lunch and milk products from any of the listed establishments.
The Hawaii State Department of Education says it is working with Meadow Gold and the DOH to ensure all affected products are pulled from schools.
According to a department spokesperson, schools have been directed to serve shelf-stable milk or water out of caution while the situation is assessed.
The HIDOE said:
“Not all schools on the Meadow Gold list received the ‘OCT 16′ cartons. We are still gathering information from schools about whether the recalled cartons were served prior to the recall notice. At this point, about five schools have reported serving the milk this week.
Schools were instructed to set aside any cartons marked with the affected October 16 expiration date and hold them for proper disposal in coordination with Meadow Gold.”
Meadow Gold is in the process of contacting all establishments that received the recalled item.
The company released a statement Wednesday that said:
“On behalf of all of us at Meadow Gold Dairies, we want to let the community know that we are heartbroken to learn that some in our community have fallen ill. The moment we discovered there was a report of illness in schools and our products were suspected, we voluntarily recalled all the products suspected and began an investigation. Thus far, initial testing from the production facility has not found any contamination with the milk. As a company deeply committed to quality and freshness, we take these matters seriously. We will continue the investigation until we find the root cause.”
If you or your child encounters a Meadow Gold chocolate milk product that looks, smells, or tastes unusual, do not consume it.
If your child is experiencing symptoms, you can report them to the Department of Health’s disease reporting line:
- Oahu: (808) 586-4586
- Maui: (808) 984-8213
- Kauai District Health Office: (808) 241-3563
- Hilo: (808) 933-0912
- Kona: (808) 322-4877
On Wednesday, the Department of Health issued the following alert to parents and guardians at Momilani Elementary, which receives their milk products from Pearl City High School.
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