One of the world’s most popular snacks may not be safe to eat.

In July, Pepperidge Farm voluntarily recalled four flavors of Goldfish: Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & Onion, Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and mixed bags containing Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel. The recall is reportedly the result of worries that whey powder, which is used to help season the crackers, is potentially contaminated with salmonella.

Thankfully for McIntosh, the school cafeteria does not sell Goldfish crackers, but cafeteria manager Jeri Drake says that even if the popular snacks were an item normally sold at the school, they would not be available any more due to the recall.

“Anytime something’s on recall, it’s pulled immediately from our bid sheet and we cannot order it,” Ms. Drake explains. The school’s PTSO also does not and has never sold Goldfish at the morning snack stand.

Although it isn’t a worry at school, students who may consume goldfish at home are still understandably concerned about the recall and what other potentially harmful germs could be lurking in the foods they consume.

“It’s kind of scary that a snack so popular is getting called back for something that you would normally find in raw food,” said sophomore Carl Elmore.

Senior Brendan Bertram expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “[Pepperidge Farm] should clean the machines daily and inspect all of their products.”

While no illnesses were reported as a result of the potential Salmonella, the recall is still listed on the FDA’s official website and has been for nearly a full month. There has been no clear indication made as to when the listing will no longer be listed.

If anything, this recall has reminded students to at least be conscious about food safety, and has brought awareness to how easy it really is for even the most popular of snacks to be contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella.

As sophomore Cole Sanford puts it, “someone must have been doing their job extremely wrong.”