60 students in River Valley Primary School reportedly get gastroenteritis after having central kitchen lunch

60 students in River Valley Primary School reportedly experienced gastroenteritis symptoms after eating the school's central kitchen meals for lunch on Jan. 14.

According to The Straits Times (ST), the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said in a joint statement that the school's central kitchen operator Gourmetz has been reminded to maintain food safety standards and comply with food handling requirements.

The affected children had fallen sick after eating pizza bought from the central kitchen, but none of them were hospitalised.

Chicken on pizza "did not smell good"

Some students reportedly told their parents that chicken on the pizza had tasted unusual, while others who were unaffected had removed the chicken before eating.

One student experienced diarrhoea the next day after eating the chicken, which he said "did not smell good".

A parent also expressed disappointment with how Gourmetz is handling the situation.

He told ST: "The school leadership, teachers and parent volunteers are doing a spectacular job covering the shortfall of the operator; they should not be blamed. The operator should cover the cost of medical bills and offer refunds, but they have been silent."

The agencies confirmed that most of the students returned to school on Jan. 16, except for four students who were still recovering.

The school is monitoring the students' well-being and is working with SFA and CDA to investigate the incident and determine its cause.

It has also stepped up cleaning and sanitisation efforts across the canteen and other school premises.

Central kitchen operator reviewing internal process

A Gourmetz spokesperson told ST that the company received reports of stomach discomfort and suspected food poisoning on Jan. 15, including feedback related to pizza served on Jan. 14.

The spokesperson added: "We take such feedback seriously, and we are working closely with the school leadership team and the SFA to review the situation and establish the facts, including the timeline and the specific meals involved."

While it will continue operating as the school's central kitchen operator, MOE said that it has reminded the company to observe food safety standards and comply with food handling requirements.

Gourmetz is also conducting an internal review of its processes, including checks on food preparation, packing and dispatch to on-site serving.

"We understand parents' concerns, and we apologise for the distress and inconvenience caused. We will share updates where appropriate once we have more confirmed information to provide," the spokesperson said, adding that Gourmetz is "cooperating fully" with the relevant authorities.

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