Sudbury Public Schools Superintendent Anne Wilson announced during Wednesday's School Committee meeting that students at Nixon Elementary School had been served undercooked chicken strips at lunch that day.
Robert Leupold, health director for the Sudbury Board of Health, was notified immediately by school officials and an investigation began, Wilson said.
Leupold went on to contact the state's health department, who then advised parents that the incubation period for bacteria in chicken could take anywhere from six hours to five days and to monitor their children for stomach and/or intestinal problems.
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Both Leupold and Wilson said no child has been reported sick.
"This is totally unacceptable," Committee member Lisa Gutch said at the meeting.
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"It's unfortunate that this mistake happened," Leupold added in a telephone interview. "There's no excuse for it."
Chartwells, the education dining services company employed by the school system, had undergone an inspection by the Board of Health from Jan. 31 to Feb. 15. Leupold reported that all five kitchens in the school system passed inspection.
"This came as an utter shock," Mary M. Will, the schools' director of business and finance, said of the incident.
Leupold said that the chicken is undergoing tests to determine if bacteria is present and results should be released within a few days.
At the school committee meeting, members discussed options for further monitoring of Chartwells, which would include a full written report of the incident by them, as well as unannounced inspections.
An attempt to reach a spokesperson from Nixon's PTO for comment was unsuccessful as of Friday afternoon.
Also items of note at the meeting:
- Wilson presented the Entry Findings Report, which detailed her experiences in getting to know the Sudbury Public School's community and her goals for tenure as superintendent.
- Wilson also announced that Bobbi Benson of Nixon Elementary School was awarded the Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education award.
