Crisis Communication Plan for Food Contamination Within The Cobb County School District

Crisis communication plan team:

Latoya Allen
Jennifer Babcock
Ben Baxley
Daniela Cerpa
Nana Cha
Date created: June 9, 2015
Date Tested:
Date Revised: June 21, 2015

Introduction
Why is this crisis important?
The Cobb County School District (CCSD) is the second largest school district in Georgia
and the 24th largest in the United States. CCSD is responsible for more than 111,000 students in
the district (About the cobb county, 2015). For this reason, it is imperative that there is
preparation for any possible crisis. The Cobb County Food and Nutrition Services Department
(FNS) is committed to serving food to the students, faculty, and staff of CCSD. FNS is
responsible for ensuring safe handling of food, monitoring the systems and equipment to make
sure food is kept in a safe place, and to properly training the staff about food safety (Food
safety 2015). Meals are served to students Monday through Friday on a weekly basis during the
school year. The meals are properly handled and prepared in the school kitchen for students on a
daily basis. Mass amounts of food are handled in the kitchen everyday, and even with proper
training, there can be incidents of food contamination. Because of the high potential of this
happening, it is imperative that the staff and faculty members are prepared to handle and inform
the students, faculty, media, and the public quickly and efficiently in the event of a crisis.
Food Contamination
Food contamination occurs when food is not properly handled, cooked, or stored. There
are several factors that contribute to the danger of food contamination, which includes poor
hygiene of faculty, sickness of faculty, and the use of unsanitized equipment. (What is food
contamination?, 2009). While bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. coli, Clostridium perfringens,
Shigella, and Campylobacter are the most common food contaminants, other pathogens such as
viruses and parasites can be involved as well (Foodborne illness contaminants, n.d.). Also,
contaminants that are hazardous to food include metals (mercury), pesticides, and natural toxins
making food contamination very dangerous (Foodborne illness, n.d.). The state of Georgia is
ranked nine out of 50 states for foodborne illnesses (Georgia ranks high, 2010). In the case of
any of these incidents of contamination happening at any of the schools in the CCSD, there must
be completely preparation for faculty and staff to respond to the crisis. Food contamination is a
serious case that can affect the health of student and faculty in one school. Without a proper
response to the crisis, there can be serious consequences that the CCSD must face.
School Food Contaminations
School food consummations occur in many schools across the nation. More than 100
people were ill after eating at a football banquet in December 2014. The banquet was held at a
Centennial High School in Roswell, GA. There was suspicion that the cause of the outbreak was
from Salmonella bacteria or Norovirus. A school in Portland, Oregon experienced a food
contamination in March 2015. The outbreak was apparent after 22 elementary school students
became ill. The food contaminate seemed to be in the pickled beets included in lunch salads.
Fortunately, the elementary school students did not need medical treatment and many returned to
school the next day. In South Carolina, 10 Lancaster County elementary schools served spinach
contaminated with Listeria in April 2015. There were no reported illnesses and the spinach was
recalled. A daycare facility located in South Carolina had an E. coli outbreak in June 2015. This
devastating outbreak cased 14 sick children and one death. Health officials were not able to
identify the source of the outbreak. These examples resemble reasons to have procedures for

health and safety prevention. Even with prevention, a food contamination outbreak is a
possibility and it is imperative to be prepared.
Food Recalls
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued recalls for several food
manufacturing companies around the nation. One of the most popular instances was the recall
issued by Blue Bell Ice Cream in 2015. During a sampling program initiated by the company, it
was revealed that one of their gallons of ice cream tested positive for a potentially deadly
bacteria called Listeria. In Georgia, the USDA recalled 40,000 pounds of E. coli contaminated
beef products. E. coli bacteria can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases,
kidney failure, according to the USDA statement (USDA recalls beef, 2011). The beef was to
be shipped to Georgia from Texas and distributed to multiple schools across the state. USDA
authorities say they are not aware of the beef having been served as part of any school lunches,
adding that the bulk of the beef products have not left the warehouses (USDA recalls beef,
2011). As of now, no instances of illness or outbreaks have been reported. It is imperative for
school systems to be notified of recalls involving food contamination to reduce the risk of a food
contamination crisis.
Conclusion
An effective, carefully thought out crisis plan for Cobb County School District (CCSD) is
essential if food contamination did occur. The CCSD serves approximately 111,000 students in
their district. In the case of a crisis, the student population at any school and their families are at
risk if food is not handled correctly. Without proper communication, the district will be at risk of
a food contamination crisis. Children can become extremely sick from the dangerous bacteria
found in food contamination. In some cases, children can be hospitalized and in other extreme
incidents death has been known to occur. It is the responsibility of the CCSD to make sure if
such incidents do occur, they will know how to handle it quickly and
effectively. Communication is essential during any crisis and should be the one of the main
highlights of the plan. The parents and the community will need to be notified on how to
recognize the signs of food poisoning and what to do if their child becomes sick. Correct clean
up of the contaminated food is essential so further contamination does not occur.

Acknowledgements
I acknowledge that I have read this crisis communication plan and am prepared to put it into
action in the event of a food contamination crisis in the Cobb County School District
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Signature
Post 1: Chairman
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Signature
Post 2: Board Member
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Post 3: Board Member
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Post 4: Board Member
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Post 5: Board Member
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Signature
Post 6: Board Member
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Signature
Post 7: Vice Chairman
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Signature
Executive Director of Food & Nutrition Services Dept.
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Signature
Director of Food & Nutrition Services Dept.

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Rehearsal
A tabletop discussion will be conducted every six months in a conference room at the
Cobb County government building in Marietta, Georgia. The members of the discussion will
include the Cobb County School District Chairman, Vice Chairmen, Board Members, Executive
Director of Food and Nutrition Services Department, and Director of Food and Nutrition
Services Department. This discussion will include a review of the crisis plan to ensure all
individuals are prepared in the event of a food contamination crisis. The discussion will
thoroughly examine each section of the crises plan to ensure each member understands the
required actions in the event of a crisis. This meeting will also allow for any necessary changes
or revisions to the crisis plan.
In addition to discussing the crisis plan, these meetings will provide an opportunity to
address the health inspection reports, food service reports, and food safety reports the Food and
Nutrition Services Department (FNS) has collected within the six month time period. The FNS is
responsible for the operations of Cobb County School District meals. FNS purchases
commodities from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The department also
arranges the distribution process of the commodities, manages school nutrition, creates school
menus, provides training, and provides programs for food safety. Health department inspections
are performed twice a year at each school; the reports are given to the schools and the FNS.These
meetings will provide a clear communication channel of the food service operations, help reduce
the possibility of a food contamination, and prepare members to mitigate a possible food
contamination crisis.

Purpose:
In the case of food contamination in any school in the Cobb County School District
(CCSD), we need to promptly inform students, faculty and the public of the details and
information of the case to avoid uncertainty and ambiguity. We will provide open and detailed
transfer of information to CCSD schools to avoid further cases of food contamination. If we
work openly and effectively, the crisis communication plan can reduce the impact of the incident
and prevent future food contamination cases.
Objective:
1. Initiate crisis plan within one hour after noticeable symptoms of food contamination in
students and/or faculty of school.
2. Inform the students, legal guardians and faculty of the school about the situation.
3. Notify all CCSD school and manufacturer of all food involved in the situation.
4. Inform the public of the incident after full investigation within 24 hours.
5. Maintain open and honest communication.