Acid spill at Cold Spring Pilgrim's plant sends 26 to hospital, police say

More than two dozen people were hospitalized after an acid spill at a chicken facility in central Minnesota Friday morning, police said.

A peracetic acid spill occurred at the Pilgrim's facility on the 800 block of Sauk River Road in Cold Spring around 8:15 a.m., according to the city's police department.

The spill was contained and the facility was evacuated. Twenty-six people were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said peracetic acid is often used as a cleaning agent. In poultry facilities, it is often used "to reduce bacterial contamination and foot spoilage," the FDA said.

The acid's concentrated form can cause "irreversible damage to skin and eyes," the FDA said, while the diluted forms can cause eye, nose, throat and respiratory irritation.

The Pilgrim's facility recently underwent a $75 million expansion.

Cold Spring is about 80 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

This story will be updated.