Saturday, February 19, 2000
Bacteria found in chicken destined for schools
The Associated Press
Investigators testing for possible contamination of Gold Kist chicken nuggets and patties obtained for use by Ohio schools found bacteria in one of the 96 samples tested, officials said Friday.
According to the Ohio Department of Education, the sample of chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a common pathogenic bacteria found in the environment that is killed in the cooking process.
Food contaminated by listeria can cause listerosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract the disease, which has symptoms of high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.
The chicken came from Gold Kist processing plants in Alabama and was stored in warehouses in Columbus and Dayton.
The contaminated sample was found in a warehouse in Dayton. Some chicken from the lot where the contaminated sample was pulled had been sent to nine school districts, but the schools were alerted and none of the chicken was consumed, said Deborah Abbott, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Ohio officials have notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture and plan to conduct more tests on the chicken and at the Dayton warehouse. Ms. Abbott said the listeria could have come from the air inside the warehouse.
Both Gold Kist and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have said the chicken is safe.
Dottie Howe, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education, said Ohio will continue to use chicken from Gold Kist, but plans to test it when it arrives.
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