60 River Valley Primary School pupils get food poisoning symptoms; canteen under central kitchen model

Sixty students from River Valley Primary School reported symptoms of gastroenteritis after eating meals from the school's central kitchen operator on Jan 14 (Wednesday). 

They felt sick after their lunch break and had food poisoning symptoms the next day. 

Four pupils were still recovering at home as of Jan 16, while the rest had returned to school. No one was hospitalised, said the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a joint statement.

"The school has been in touch with affected students and their parents, and will continue to monitor the students' well-being," the statement read.

MOE and the school are also working closely with SFA and CDA to investigate the matter, with the school simultaneously stepping up cleaning and sanitisation of the canteen and other common areas. 

Pupils have also been reminded to practice good personal hygiene and rest at home if they are unwell.

The school's canteen is run by Gourmetz as part of the central kitchen meal model. Amid a shortage of school canteen stall operators, the school is one of 13 that transitioned to the model, where students buy food from a single caterer instead of individual stallholders.

"MOE has reiterated to Gourmetz the importance of upholding food safety and complying with SFA's food handling requirements, including maintaining the cleanliness of its central kitchen and handling food safely," the authorities said in their joint statement. 

"Student well-being and food safety remain our utmost priority." 

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, a Gourmetz spokesperson said it was alerted to reports of stomach discomfort and suspected food poisoning on Jan 15, including feedback relating to pizza served the day before. 

"We take such feedback seriously, and we are working closely with the school leadership team and the SFA to review the situation and establish the facts, including the timeline and the specific meals involved," the spokesperson reportedly told The Straits Times.

"We understand parents' concerns, and we apologise for the distress and inconvenience caused. We will share updates where appropriate once we have more confirmed information to provide," the spokesperson added.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com