Gastroenteritis. What a mouthful.
And it was also contracted from a mouth full of food prepared by Chili Api Catering.
A school lunch meant to thank the teachers for their hard work quickly turned into a terrible nightmare for the staff of Temasek Junior College (TJC) after they had consumed lunch bento boxes from Chilli Api Catering.
As you may have heard, 82 people fell ill last week, of which 43 are from the junior college.
According to TODAYonline, TJC principal Mrs Low Ay Nar said that eight of the teachers have been hospitalised but are now in stable condition.
The school had ordered 216 bento lunch boxes from Chilli Api Catering last Friday (12 Mar) as a gesture of appreciation for the staff’s work in Term 1.
The very next day, some staff members had reported gastroenteritis symptoms, which include vomiting and diarrhoea. The school immediately “advised all staff who had consumed the same lunch boxes and experiencing similar symptoms to visit a doctor,” said Mrs Low.
The staff had collected and consumed their lunch separately.
She added that the school is monitoring the health of all affected staff closely and will give them the necessary support.
TJC is also working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to assist in investigations.
Chilli Api Catering Suspended
Chilli Api Catering has been suspended from 14 March 2021 until further notice, according to SFA’s Facebook page. The licensee is required to clean and sanitise the premises, equipment and utensils.
In addition, all food handlers working at Chilli Api Catering premises are required to re-attend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 1. They also have to be tested negative for food-borne pathogens before they can resume work.
Saddened to Learn about the Recent Incidents
This wasn’t the first time Chilli Api Catering’s food had resulted in people falling ill. As reported by The Straits Times, 24 people had also experienced food poisoning after consuming their food in December 2018.
The catering business’ hygiene grade was thus lowered to a ‘C’ in June 2019.
As of 22 January 2021, Chilli Api Catering had improved to an ‘A’ grade and had no suspension history in 2020.
Chilli Api’s management team expressed in a statement that they were saddened to learn of the recent cases and that their concerns were with the well-being of the affected guests.
“Investigations are underway. We are working closely with the authorities to determine the probable cause of these cases.”
Feature Image: Google Maps (Ong Eng Hin)
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