A total of 165 individuals experienced gastroenteritis after a case of mass food poisoning at the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Civil Defence Academy on Jul. 23 and 24.

A recruit, who wanted to be known as Thomas, told Mothership that the cases were linked to food served at the cookhouse and that the cookhouse was subsequently shut down.

He added that he and many other recruits were "all experiencing food poisoning symptoms".

"By [Jul. 24], a lot of people were sent home including myself... the majority had diarrhoea and stomachache. [There were] a few doing worse like vomiting," he elaborated.

The recruit shared that they had been briefed that it was likely an issue with the cookhouse, due to the scale of the food poisoning.

Following the incident, the current stock of cooked and uncooked food had been discarded, and the academy had begun the process of sanitisation, he said.

SCDF's reply

In response to Mothership's queries, an SCDF spokesperson confirmed on Jul. 26 that 165 personnel from the academy experienced mild gastroenteritis.

"All affected personnel had sought medical treatment and were given up to three days of outpatient sick leave," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that as a precautionary measure, the cookhouse and dormitories have all been "thoroughly cleaned and disinfected".

The cookhouse remains closed with alternative meal arrangements having been made.

In a same-day joint statement, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) said that they are investigating the cases.

They added that out of the 165 individuals, none have been hospitalised as of Jul. 24.

"Food safety is a joint responsibility," the agencies said.

"While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food safety practices. SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food operators."

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