Supplier to end classroom lunch portioning at Sha Tin school after 39 fall ill

A Hong Kong primary school will cease on-site lunch portioning by a supplier following a suspected food poisoning outbreak that sickened 39 students and two staff members, local reports said on Sunday. The supplier, Danny Catering Service, stated the incident was isolated and linked to the classroom lunch distribution method, not affecting its other locations.

To safeguard student health and prevent contamination risks, the company will discontinue the practice at the affected school starting Monday, employing individual, food-grade polypropylene containers instead. The Centre for Health Protection is investigating the cluster, where 37 students and two staff members experienced stomach pain and diarrhea eight to 22 hours after eating the same lunchboxes on Wednesday.

The affected individuals ranged in age from five to 11 years. Two pupils sought medical advice and were in stable condition, while the others exhibited mild symptoms and did not require medical attention. Inspections at the supplier's factory confirmed compliance with food safety standards. The supplier attributed the outbreak to the lack of professional cooking and heat preservation facilities in the school, noting that students handled the portioning themselves, increasing bacterial growth potential due to temperature fluctuations.

From Monday, the supplier will use insulated food containers transported under hot-holding conditions at the affected school. No other schools reported similar symptoms after consuming the lunches supplied by Danny Catering Service. The Education Bureau advised schools to ensure sufficient space, facilities, and manpower for maintaining cleanliness and immediate post-meal washing when adopting the on-site meal distribution model.