Students from the School of the Arts (SOTA) have reported symptoms of food poisoning after consuming ready-to-eat (RTE) meals distributed during Exercise SG Ready, a national preparedness drill simulating crises like power outages and food supply disruptions.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
According to a joint statement from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health (MOH), and food caterer SATS, investigations are underway into cases of gastroenteritis among students. As of Wednesday (Feb 19), 20 students had reported symptoms, including diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. None required hospitalization, and teachers are monitoring the affected students’ well-being.
Authorities emphasized that this appears to be an isolated incident, with no similar reports from other schools participating in the exercise. As a precaution, SFA and MOE are working with schools to collect and replace any uneaten RTE meals from the same batch.
In an internal email, SOTA vice-principal Pauline Ann Tan acknowledged reports of students feeling unwell and instructed them to return any unconsumed meals for further investigation. Students who took meals home were asked to bring them back the following day. Those experiencing symptoms were advised to seek medical attention and inform their class mentors.
The RTE meals, developed by SATS for emergency use, are designed to be stored without refrigeration and have a shelf life of up to eight months. Five meal options were distributed, with preliminary reports suggesting that students who consumed the chicken bolognese pasta were affected.
Beyond schools, the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme has also distributed these meals to seniors at Active Ageing Centres. Authorities have reiterated the importance of food safety and proper handling of packaged meals to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Investigations are ongoing, and updates will be provided as more details emerge.
