Glass shards found in AISD cafeteria food

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Glass chippings from a lunch line sneeze guard fell into the pinto beans at Allison Elementary School on Thursday.

Austin Independent School District officials said they believe nearly 100 kids had been served by the time the shards of glass were discovered, but there is no evidence that any students consumed the glass or suffered harmful effects.

"They were very visable," said Tracy Lunoff, the supervisor of health services for AISD. "They were not tiny shards of glass."

Lunoff said staff members went class-to-class on Thursday to talk to children and make sure none were injured or hurt by the glass.

A similar chipping problem was found at Kocurek Elementary prompting AISD to replace the sneeze guards at all 18 campuses where they were installed.

"At this point, the manufacturer is looking at what happened and whether there is a defect with the glass," said Lunoff.

Mod-U-Serve is the company that made the sneeze guard glass and will pay for the replacement at no charge to the district.

Temporary plastic sneeze guards are being installed at the 18 campuses until the replacement glass is received in a few weeks.

Parents of Allison Elementary students received a ltter informing them of the incident and reaction was mixed among those picking their children up on Wednesday.

"I didn't think much of it," said Raul Garcia. "As long as everything is under control."

Angela Guel had a much different response.

"I was scared that my kids may have eaten it since they eat breakfast and lunch here everyday," she said.

AISD said there is nothing to indicate any other past food items were tainted by glass.