In a troubling incident earlier this week, students at a Tigard middle school in Portland’s suburbs were inadvertently served pretzels tainted with oven cleaner. School authorities at Fowler Middle School have acknowledged the mishap, assuring parents that the situation is being handled with utmost seriousness.

The school’s communication to parents revealed that the oven cleaner, mistakenly used, was in granular form and unintentionally ended up on the students’ snacks. The email expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing the school’s commitment to student safety and acknowledging the breach of trust such an event can cause.

“We’ve received numerous concerns regarding Monday’s food contamination incident,” the email stated. “We deeply apologize for this occurrence. At Fowler and throughout the District, our priority is the health and safety of our students, and incidents like this undermine the trust we strive to maintain.”