Identify some foods that have caused poisoning at school lunches

Some casesfood poisoningat school kitchen

At Quang Thinh Kindergarten, Hai Ha District, Quang Ninh, there was an incident where 9 children had to be hospitalized with fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

after lunch and snacks at school. According to the report of the People's Committee of Quang Thinh commune, on the afternoon of September 16, Quang Thinh commune Kindergarten received information that 8 parents with children studying at the school in area B brought their children to the Hai Ha District Medical Center. On September 17, 1 more child was hospitalized. The hospital diagnosed that the children had intestinal infections. According to the school's report, the number of children eating at the boarding school on September 15 was 177, the number of children in the 3-4 year old class in area B (with 9 children hospitalized) was 25 children eating in class. The main meal menu includes the following dishes: white rice, ginger fried chicken, pumpkin soup with shrimp. The snack includes corn and black bean sweet soup.

Currently, the children's health condition is stable, no more fever, diarrhea has reduced... Authorities have come to the school to check the food hygiene and safety situation to verify information about food poisoning in the school.

Previously, on March 28There was also an incident where 72 students of Kim Giang Primary School, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi had to be hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning after a field trip. Lunch for students was cooked at school and transported to the picnic site with dishes including: Fried rice, fried chicken fillet, French fries, sour soup with meat, Kinh Do Oreo cookies.

The cause of the poisoning was later determined to be staphylococcus aureus in the chicken. Authorities have directed an investigation into the kitchen of Kim Giang Primary School to review the cause of staphylococcus aureus in the chicken during transportation or during processing.

By the end of 2022, a serious food poisoning incident occurred at Ischool Nha Trang, causing more than 665 people to be poisoned, of which 389 people had to be hospitalized, 1 student died. The poisoned people all had lunch at school on November 17. According to the test results of the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, many bacteria were found in the fried chicken wings of the meal. Specifically, Salmonella bacteria were detected.

spp; Bacillus cereus bacteria; Escherichia coli bacteria in fried chicken wing samples. At the same time, Bacillus cereus bacteria were also detected in fish sauce samples... The above statistics are just some of the many food poisoning cases that have occurred in school kitchens. So, what causes food poisoning in school kitchens?

2. Risk of food poisoning in school kitchens

Food safety conditions in school kitchens are always a concern for parents when their children eat at school. If the food supplied to schools is not strictly controlled in terms of origin, there is still a chance that unsafe food will enter the school kitchen. In addition, the process of transporting, preserving and processing food in school kitchens is also an issue that needs attention. In order for students' meals to ensure nutrition and food safety, school kitchens need to strictly ensure the process of all stages from receiving raw materials, preliminary processing, cooking, presentation to serving meals. The storage of raw and cooked food samples must be carried out in accordance with regulations. However, through inspections by functional agencies (specifically in Hanoi), it is shown that some schools have not yet carried out traceability, periodic and unscheduled inspections and supervision at food production, processing and trading establishments that provide raw materials for food processing for collective kitchens. Some problems in collective kitchens such as unsuitable areas for dividing cooked food, lack of tools to cover and preserve cooked food, trash bins in some places in the kitchen area do not have tight lids... This is one of the important causes that increase the risk of food poisoning at school.

3. Some foods can easily cause poisoning

There are many types of bacteria that can cause food poisoning such as Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, Yersinia, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum, Brucella... According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former Lecturer at the Institute of Biotechnology and Food, University of Science and Technology, all fresh foods whose ingredients and processing methods do not meet safety standards are at risk of bacterial contamination causing food poisoning. Food can be contaminated during improper production, processing and storage, not cooked thoroughly, contaminated hands touching food, cross-contamination, expired food...

People who eat food contaminated with bacteria can be poisoned with symptoms such as: abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte disturbances... and even death if not treated promptly.

Some foods can easily cause poisoning if the origin, preservation and processing methods are not guaranteed:

Chicken:Raw chicken often contains the bacteria Campylobacter and Salmonella. People can get food poisoning if they eat contaminated chicken that is not thoroughly cooked or prepared. Improper storage can cause chicken juices to leak into the refrigerator, onto kitchen surfaces, or become contaminated if the cutting board used to cut raw chicken is not washed before being used to prepare raw or lightly cooked foods such as raw vegetables, salads, or fruits.

Beef: E.coli bacteria live in the intestines of cattle and can contaminate beef during the slaughtering process. Bacteria can also be transmitted during the grinding process of beef. When bacteria enter the meat, they will multiply rapidly and cause food poisoning for people who eat them.

Egg: Raw eggs can contain Salmonella bacteria. This type of bacteria is found on egg shells and inside eggs. Therefore, eating raw eggs or improperly prepared eggs can easily cause poisoning. People with Salmonella poisoning often have abdominal pain, cramps, chills, diarrhea, fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, bloody stools, and signs of dehydration. Children can quickly become severely dehydrated, which can be dangerous.

Milk:There are many types of bacteria found in raw milk and raw milk products such as: E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella. Brucella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium. Symptoms of poisoning in each person may vary depending on the type of bacteria, the amount of food and the immune defense of each person, but mainly include symptoms such as: diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting. Some cases may be seriously affected, even death if the poisoning is severe.

Sausage: High temperatures can kill Listeria bacteria but it can infect pre-cooked foods such as hot dogs if the food is placed on a counter with raw meat on it.

Canned food: Canned meat, vegetable, fruit, seafood products... that do not follow safe procedures are at risk of being contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria and producing botulinum toxin. Botulinum is a toxin produced in anaerobic environments and unsanitary conditions. Botulinum is more virulent than the toxins of all other bacteria. People who eat it may be in danger, even death, if not given timely emergency care.

Medical experts recommend that when there are signs of food poisoning, you should stop using the food suspected of causing the poisoning and go to the nearest medical facility for timely examination and treatment. For children, it is necessary to avoid dehydration, which can cause electrolyte disturbances that can be life-threatening. Remember to keep all leftover food, feces, and vomit for medical testing to find the cause of the poisoning.