Turkey
SAKARYA – Suspected Food Poisoning Strikes Female Students
Eighty female students were hospitalized after exhibiting symptoms of suspected food poisoning. The students began experiencing nausea and vomiting after dinner.
Emergency medical teams took the affected students to the nearest hospital, where they received treatment before being discharged.
Reports indicate that additional students have since sought medical attention for similar symptoms, raising concerns about a possible wider outbreak.
India
HYDERABAD – 20 University Students Ill from Suspected Food Poisoning
Around 20 students at SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) University in Polepally SEZ, Jadcherla, reported symptoms consistent with food poisoning last Thursday. As their conditions deteriorated, they were eventually transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Local authorities from Jadcherla police indicated that while food poisoning is suspected as the cause of the illness, official confirmation is still pending. The incident prompted Jadcherla legislative assembly member Janampally Anirudh Reddy to visit the campus personally to assess the situation.
During his visit, Reddy expressed strong disapproval of the university administration’s handling of the situation. He confronted campus officials for keeping visibly ill students on campus rather than immediately transferring them to medical facilities. “How can you keep them here and not take them to a hospital?” the MLA reportedly asked university management.
In statements to the media following his visit, Reddy described finding approximately 25 students in distress, many of whom were shivering. He criticized the university administration, suggesting they appeared more focused on protecting the institution’s reputation than ensuring student welfare.
Reddy said he called an ambulance to transport the affected students to the hospital.
Reddy also noted that the exact cause of the illness remains undetermined, stating that he could not confirm whether food poisoning or another factor was responsible for the students’ symptoms.
AMROHA – Food Poisoning at Celebration Affects 50 Villagers
In a recent incident in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, around 50 people fell ill with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming halwa, a type of confectionery, at a local event. The sweet dish, served during a gathering, reportedly led to severe stomach aches, vomiting, and diarrhea among attendees.
Authorities were alerted, and the affected individuals were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Medical teams have been monitoring their condition, with most patients reported to be stable.
Local officials have initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. Preliminary reports suggest that the halwa may have been prepared under unhygienic conditions or with spoiled ingredients.
Organizers of the event have expressed regret over the incident and are cooperating with authorities to ensure such occurrences are prevented in the future. Meanwhile, health officials are urging the public to exercise caution when consuming food at large gatherings and to report any signs of foodborne illnesses promptly.
Hong Kong
HONG KONG – French Raw Milk Cheese Recall Due to E. coli Contamination Concerns
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has issued an urgent warning advising the public to avoid consuming a specific batch of French raw milk cheese potentially contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced the alert on February 23, directing retailers and food service operators to immediately cease selling or using the affected product.
The contamination concerns involve Morbier Jean Perrin raw milk cheese from brand PERRIN VERMOT, originating from France. The affected products are 1.8-kilogram quarter wheels with a best-before date of March 15, 2025, and batch number 366. The product was imported by Chef’s Garden Limited and sold through the retailer Feather & Bone.
According to CFS officials, they were notified of the potential contamination through the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. The alert indicated that the product was being recalled in France and other countries due to possible STEC contamination. The CFS immediately initiated contact with local importers for investigation.
Preliminary findings revealed that approximately 13.7 kilograms (eight pieces) of the affected cheese had been imported into Hong Kong and distributed to Feather & Bone for retail sale. The importer has since halted sales, discarded unsold products from the affected batch, and begun a recall following CFS instructions. Local consumers with questions about the recall can contact the importer’s hotline at 2819 7500 during business hours.
A CFS spokesperson warned that STEC infection can cause gastrointestinal disease through consumption of contaminated foods, potentially leading to serious complications including intestinal bleeding and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in some cases.
CFS said it will continue to monitor the situation, alert relevant businesses, and conduct further investigation into the incident.
Indonesia
JAKARTA – Multiple Food Poisoning Incidents Plague School Meal Program
Two new incidents of food poisoning linked to Indonesia’s free school meals program were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total to four cases in less than two months since the initiative’s launch.
In South Sumatra’s Empat Lawang Regency, eight students from SD 7 Tebing Tinggi State Elementary School required medical attention after consuming government-provided meals. The third and fourth graders experienced vomiting, abdominal pain, stomach discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath following their lunch.
Social media videos circulated showing the packaged meals served at the school contained maggot-contaminated food. Tuesday’s meal, which consisted of fried fish fillet, stir-fried vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, and papaya, reportedly had an unpleasant taste that prompted many students to refuse eating it.
Authorities announced Wednesday that the free meals program in the regency has been temporarily suspended pending a complete investigation.
“It’s not that we oppose the free meals program. We fully support it. We just want to carefully investigate this incident so we can fully assess the situation and prevent similar occurrences in the future,” said an official.
Police have already interviewed multiple parties connected to the incident, including the caterer, food delivery personnel, school officials, and kitchen staff. Food samples have been sent to both the South Sumatra Police forensic laboratory and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) laboratory for testing.
Coinciding with the South Sumatra case, 29 students at SD Katolik Andaluri Catholic Elementary School in East Nusa Tenggara’s Sumba Timur Regency also suffered food poisoning on Tuesday after consuming their government-provided lunch. Students who ate fried noodles, fried tempeh and tofu, egg, and bananas experienced nausea, stomachache, dizziness, and vomiting. They reported that the food tasted unusual and appeared spoiled.
All affected students in Sumba have received medical treatment and have since recovered. Sumba Police and local BPOM officials are investigating the incident and have collected food samples for analysis.
These recent cases follow two previous food poisoning incidents linked to the same program in January. In Central Java, 40 students from an elementary school fell ill after eating undercooked chicken supplied by a caterer at a local army base. Additionally, multiple students and several teachers at another elementary school in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, reported suffering from diarrhea after consuming meals from the program.
Following the January incidents, Hasan Nasbi, head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), stated that these cases would be critical for the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to reevaluate standard procedures throughout all phases of the free meals program to ensure quality and proper sanitation standards.
Singapore
SINGAPORE – Emergency Food Program Suspended After School Food Poisoning Incident
Singapore has temporarily halted its national Food Resilience Preparedness Programme just two days after its launch following a food poisoning outbreak at the School of the Arts (SOTA). The decision comes after 20 students developed gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming ready-to-eat meals distributed as part of the initiative.
In a joint statement released last Thursday, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), and food caterer SATS announced the program’s suspension as a precautionary measure. The pause will remain in effect until authorities complete their investigation into the SOTA gastroenteritis cases.
Students who consumed the meals experienced symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. The affected students represent approximately one percent of SOTA students who ate the provided meals, according to official sources.
The incident occurred during Exercise SG Ready, a simulation designed to prepare Singaporeans for potential crises such as power outages and food supply disruptions. The exercise falls under Singapore’s broader Total Defence strategy, which aims to strengthen national resilience.
The Food Resilience Preparedness Programme had ambitious plans to distribute meals to over 100,000 students and teachers across more than 90 schools throughout Singapore. Additionally, the initiative intended to provide meals to approximately 8,000 seniors at 111 Active Ageing Centres across the island.
SATS, the food caterer responsible for producing the meals, leveraged its experience in manufacturing army combat rations to develop these specialized food packets. The meals were specifically designed to withstand storage without refrigeration, remain edible at room temperature, and maintain a shelf life of up to eight months.
These features made the meals particularly suitable for emergency situations where normal food preparation might be impossible. Five meal options were available as part of the program, including chicken bolognese pasta and curry chicken with biryani rice.
Authorities have not specified when the program might resume, noting only that it will remain paused until the investigation concludes.
United States
PERRYSBURG – Salmonella Cases Linked to Local Restaurant Inve
Wood County Health Department recently investigated two cases of Salmonella after patients reported dining at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Perrysburg, Ohio, according to wtol.com. The investigation was initiated from December when health officials noted the restaurant as a common location mentioned by both affected individuals.
According to Rachel Aeschliman, director of nursing for the Wood County Health Department, standard protocol involves follow-up investigations whenever salmonella cases are reported, including tracking where patients have recently eaten and what food they consumed.
“When we did that inspection with the facility, we were not able to find a cause that was happening there that would have contributed or led to salmonella,” Aeschliman stated. She added that no additional links have been found in other cases reported in December or January.
During the inspection, officials identified and addressed one critical violation related to improper sanitization frequency of utensils and food-contact surfaces. This issue was corrected during the inspection process.
Aeschliman noted that salmonella is relatively common, with cases typically increasing during the second half of the year. She explained that even two similar case reports meet the threshold for initiating an investigation. Since no ongoing concerns were identified, no further follow-up visits are currently planned.
“When we went out and did the follow-up inspection and were unable to find an issue there, that was the end of our follow-up with them,” she confirmed.
Cracker Barrel responded to the situation with an official statement, saying: “At Cracker Barrel, nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of our guests and employees. We are aware of an ongoing investigation by the health department into positive Salmonella cases among a few guests who dined with us several months back. We worked closely with the health department and, out of an abundance of caution, immediately took various actions including conducting deep cleaning and sanitizing of the entire facility. We are confident our restaurant is safe for diners and appreciate the health department’s partnership.”
Health department officials clarified that no salmonella outbreaks have been documented in 2024 or 2025. They also mentioned that gastrointestinal illnesses generally occur more frequently during winter months.
The health department advises anyone experiencing symptoms to contact their healthcare provider.
Commenting on this article, the nation’s leading salmonella lawyer said, “All commercial providers of food services have an obligation to adhere to the strictest food safety standards. Salmonella infections usually last between 4 and 7 days and fortunately, most cases are mild. Sometimes though, those infections can develop into more dangerous conditions so I recommend seeking medical attention early if infection is suspected.”
