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US: Soft taco shells suspected in school lunch illnesses

PEORIA -- Soft taco shells served at lunch in Peoria schools early last month contained an unusual amount of a preservative, and Illinois schools have been directed to stop using the product, state health officials said.

Chicago-based Del Rey Tortilleria has agreed to recall and stop shipping the tacos and will adjust its ingredients, Marlena Bordson of the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday.

A phone message left at the tortilla company Saturday was not immediately returned.

More than 80 Peoria students fell ill in early December, and six were taken to hospitals for treatment. Students complained of stomach pains, headaches, diarrhea and vomiting.

On Wednesday, when the same taco shells were served again, about 45 Peoria students reported similar symptoms.

Peoria schools are taking other food-safety measures, including closing food and salad bars, District 150 spokeswoman Stephanie Tate said. The district also is scratching Mexican food from school menus for now, she said.

Del Rey tortillas were named by health officials in connection with a similar outbreak in Massachusetts schools in 2003 and 2004, but repeated testing never identified a contaminant, according to a 2004 Food and Drug Administration press release.

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Posted in: News on January 22, 2006 @ 12:00 AM

Tags: School

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