BREAKING /
MASS FOOD-POISONING STRIKES RESIDENTS OF SHEARES HALL ZEN SOO |
18.10.2011
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About 70 students have fallen ill in National University of Singapore’s Sheares hall on Oct. 11, 2011 in a suspected outbreak of food poisoning.
The students, all residents of the hostel, reported diarrhea and stomachaches after consuming the dinner provided the day before by the hostel’s food caterer, Kriston. The National Environment Agency and Ministry of Health have been notified and started investigations on Oct. 13, 2011 conducting checks on hygiene practices, utensils as well as the cleanliness of the water supply.
“Ever since we’ve had Kriston as our new caterer at the beginning of this semester, hygiene has been pretty bad,” Ng Kai Ling, a fourth-year resident at Sheares hall, said. “The plates and cups were often not washed properly. Remnants from the previous day’s meal can sometimes be seen sticking to the utensils. There were many occasions where I would rinse the utensils myself just to ensure that they are clean.”
Stool samples from affected hall residents have been collected to verify the cause of food poisoning. According to the hostel management, proper compensations by the food caterer will be made duly through legal actions should they be found responsible for the incident.
“I am quite disappointed with the hall caterer,” Melissa Liew, a third-year resident who was affected by the food poisoning, said. “I had rather bad diarrhea because of the food and am quite fearful to eat the meals provided by Kriston now. Who knows how exactly the food has been prepared?”
On the same day of the investigations, MOH suspended the license for Kriston to prepare food from the kitchen in the National University Hospital, where food for Sheares hall was previously prepared. Meal preparation must now be done in the central kitchen of Kriston, or purchased at the caterer’s own expense while the hall’s kitchen is being cleaned and disinfected for use.
“Our contract with Kriston stated that they should prepare food within Sheares hall itself, but they had violated this term when they prepared food elsewhere and served it here,” Shordy Pang, head of administration in Sheares hall, said. “We are now working with them to clean up our hall’s kitchen. In the future, all meals by caterers should be prepared here.”
Kriston’s contract with Sheares hall has also been terminated, effective at the end of October. At the time of writing, Kriston could not be reached for comment.
The students, all residents of the hostel, reported diarrhea and stomachaches after consuming the dinner provided the day before by the hostel’s food caterer, Kriston. The National Environment Agency and Ministry of Health have been notified and started investigations on Oct. 13, 2011 conducting checks on hygiene practices, utensils as well as the cleanliness of the water supply.
“Ever since we’ve had Kriston as our new caterer at the beginning of this semester, hygiene has been pretty bad,” Ng Kai Ling, a fourth-year resident at Sheares hall, said. “The plates and cups were often not washed properly. Remnants from the previous day’s meal can sometimes be seen sticking to the utensils. There were many occasions where I would rinse the utensils myself just to ensure that they are clean.”
Stool samples from affected hall residents have been collected to verify the cause of food poisoning. According to the hostel management, proper compensations by the food caterer will be made duly through legal actions should they be found responsible for the incident.
“I am quite disappointed with the hall caterer,” Melissa Liew, a third-year resident who was affected by the food poisoning, said. “I had rather bad diarrhea because of the food and am quite fearful to eat the meals provided by Kriston now. Who knows how exactly the food has been prepared?”
On the same day of the investigations, MOH suspended the license for Kriston to prepare food from the kitchen in the National University Hospital, where food for Sheares hall was previously prepared. Meal preparation must now be done in the central kitchen of Kriston, or purchased at the caterer’s own expense while the hall’s kitchen is being cleaned and disinfected for use.
“Our contract with Kriston stated that they should prepare food within Sheares hall itself, but they had violated this term when they prepared food elsewhere and served it here,” Shordy Pang, head of administration in Sheares hall, said. “We are now working with them to clean up our hall’s kitchen. In the future, all meals by caterers should be prepared here.”
Kriston’s contract with Sheares hall has also been terminated, effective at the end of October. At the time of writing, Kriston could not be reached for comment.