350 children hospitalised for food poisoning, discharged later

Around 350 children of a government-run Urdu Primary School here were hospitalised today for suspected food poisoning after partaking mid-day meal.

The children with complaints of head ache, stomach ache and vomitting were taken to Dr Ambedkar Medical College Hospital with anxious parents swarming the premises, making it tough for police to control them.

Speaking to reporters, Health Minister U T Khader, who visited the hospital, said "around 350 students have fallen ill and have been admitted to Ambedkar Hospital. Most of them have returned home after getting the treatment."

The children were brought to the hospital at around 3.30 pm with complaints of vomiting sensation, Anjaneya, Manager, Ananda Social and Educational Trust which runs the hospital, said. He said doctors were told that a lizard was found in the food served to the children.

A school teacher said she found a lizard in the food soon after which they stopped serving it.

"All the 350 children who were brought for treatment have been discharged," D J Halli Police said late in the evening.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which supplies food to schools, in a statement said the food cooked by Akshaya Patra is into mass cooking and the same batch has been distributed to neighbouring schools as well. "No complaints have been registered. The food samples are sent to laboratory for the mandatory check-ups."

It said Akshaya Patra kitchens are ISO 22000 certified and follows a strict hygiene adherence while cooking. "All the kitchens of Akshaya Patra follow a standard process for preparing the mid-day meals. This process is charted out to ensure hygiene and quality of the cooked meal and also to adhere to the food safety standards."