JOHOR BARU: A total of 99 students and teachers from a Batu Pahat secondary school suffered stomach aches after consuming food from the school canteen.
Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said 90 students and nine from the teaching staff began experiencing symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting last Thursday (June 27).
“They were said to have started having stomach upset after consuming fried chicken from the school canteen.
“Out of the 99 people, 11 students sought medical attention at government and private clinics,” he told the media after attending a free diabetes screening campaign at a shopping mall here on Sunday (June 30).
He added that the symptoms they experienced were mild, and nobody was hospitalised.
Ling said the Batu Pahat health department had collected the food sample and inspected the canteen after the incident.
“The laboratory report about the cause of the food poisoning will be out in the next three days.
“At the same time, the canteen has been ordered to cease operating temporarily from June 28 until July 11 to carry out clean-up works,” he added.
He added that, given the canteen's closure, students at the school would have to bring their food for the time being.