More than 50 middle school students in Oregon were fed pretzels that were seasoned with crushed oven cleaner last fall, according to a newly filed lawsuit.

About 37 pretzels coated with Alto-Cham concentrated oven cleaner — an industrial-strength caustic chemical made with sodium hydroxide — were served during sixth-grade lunch at Fowler Middle School in Tigard, a suburb of Portland, on October 20, 2025, according to a nearly $1 million lawsuit filed last month.

More than 50 students ate all or part of the impacted pretzels, according to Tigard-Tualatin School District records obtained by Fox 12.

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    The school district said the tainted pretzels were the result of “human error,” and that a kitchen worker thought the chemical cleaner was salt. Tigard Police reviewed the case last year, but did not file criminal charges.

    The student at the center of the lawsuit, identified as L.L., ate one of the tainted pretzels and immediately felt burning in his mouth and throat, as well as chest pain and an upset stomach, according to the report.