Third preschool hit by food poisoning

[MarrickG]

A THIRD preschool which served food prepared by Mum's Kitchen Catering was hit by food poisoning.

Learning Vision on Monday informed the Ministry of Health (MOH) of a recent incident at its Raffles Place branch located along Cecil Street, which resulted in eight kids falling ill.

Together with cases at Pat's Schoolhouse and The Children's Place at Kay Siang Road – which both used the same caterer - a total of 235 children and 12 teachers have been affected, MOH and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement today.

Mum's Kitchen had its licence suspended by NEA last Thursday and remains closed for business. The caterer was also fined $300 and given four demerit points after checks found a dirty refrigerator door lining.

According to MOH, this is not the first case of food poisoning involving Mum's Kitchen. The caterer had been fined for lapses in December last year after 35 people who attended a company function came down with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting.

Preliminary analysis of the incidents at Pat's Schoolhouse and The Children's Place fitted the case definition of "food poisoning", MOH and NEA said.

"Most of the cases have recovered. Of these, 34, including cases reported earlier, had been hospitalised and 14 have since been discharged."

Pat's Schoolhouse, who saw six of its 14 preschools hit by food poisoning last Tuesday, has terminated the contract of Mum's Kitchen and now cooks its meals in-house.