IPOH: The canteen at SK Chepor here has been ordered to close for 14 days until Oct 8 after 101 students came down with food poisoning.
Perak Health director Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha said the closure, under Section (11) of the Food Act 1983, followed an assessment of the canteen which was found to be unsatisfactory, recording a rating of only 67.9%.
"Preliminary investigations found that the incident is believed to have been caused by a chocolate-flavoured drink and fried chicken prepared in the canteen’s kitchen.
"Students complained that the drink sold on Tuesday (Sept 24) had a spoiled smell, while the fried chicken was found to be undercooked, with some parts of the meat still raw,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 26).
He added that the suspected cause of the food poisoning is more than one species of Salmonella bacteria, based on the symptoms and incubation period of the cases.
"The total number of cases is 101 (50 girls and 51 boys) out of 1,054 individuals exposed, including students, teachers and support staff,” he said.
He added that one student had been admitted to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here for treatment and was in stable condition, while 62 others received outpatient treatment at nearby health clinics and private clinics.
The remaining students were found to have only mild symptoms and rested at home, with all cases reported to be stable, he said. – Bernama
