Possibly tainted peanuts shipped to Minn. schools

Peanuts
Peanuts involved in an ongoing nationwide salmonella scare are believed to have been delivered to nearly 200 Minnesota schools.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Peanuts from the ongoing nationwide salmonella scare are now believed to have been delivered to nearly 200 schools across Minnesota. But it's likely that many of the peanuts were eaten long ago.

The USDA has informed the state Education Department that one truckload of dry and oil-roasted peanuts from the Peanut Corporation of America made its way to Minnesota schools in the middle of January, 2007.

The 10-pound cans were delivered as part of a federal program that allows schools to get food for free.

The USDA isn't recalling these peanuts but only putting them on hold -- meaning they should be set aside until more testing is done to see if a recall is needed.

But it's also likely many of the peanuts are long gone, considering they were delivered a year ago.

The state, though, says it's being extra cautious and calling those schools to make sure any cans that might still be around are set aside.

The Hibbing and Osseo school districts each got 348 cans of the peanuts, the most of any school.

Columbia Heights, East Grand Forks and St. Michael-Albertville each got more than 200 cans, as did a juvenile prison in Red Wing.