Good intentions go awry for mango-eating students
Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)/ The Associated Press
December 12, 2008
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- So much for healthy eating: One school district's attempt to feed kids fresh fruit resulted in an outbreak of rashes.
North View Elementary Principal Richard Skinner says nine children suffered rashes on their mouths and cheeks after eating fresh mangos at the Clarksburg school.
The mangos were offered as part of a program to encourage consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables on Dec. 2.
The mangos were peeled for the younger children, but third- through fifth-graders got fruit with the skin on.
School officials later discovered mango skin produces an oil that can cause a skin rash similar to poison ivy. It lasts about a week and is treated with topical creams.
North View got a $22,000 federal grant for the produce program. It will continue -- without mangos.
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