Hawaii preschoolers served Pine-Sol instead of apple juice

HONOLULU -- A preschool in Hawaii faced a close call when a classroom assistant mistook Pine-Sol for apple juice.

An inspection report says the assistant took the Pine-Sol off a kitchen cart while preparing snacks and filled cups with it. The cleaner was its original container and properly labeled.

A classroom teacher smelled the Pine-Sol and stopped students from drinking it.

Emergency crews evaluated three girls, ages 4 and 5, who took small sips of the cleaning liquid. Paramedics found no signs of trauma or sickness, and the girls' parents declined to take them to the hospital.

"Stunned. Absolutely stunned. My first reaction is wondering why they would store the two in the same part of the building," parent Andrea Ganote said.

The Hawaii Health Department says each year about a dozen people accidentally ingest Pine-Sol; half of them are children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.