The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement on Friday that 30 students at the University of Macau (UM), who came down with symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting after consuming dishes provided by the Heyday Food Processing Factory (盛世食品加工廠) at Yau Son Industrial Building on Avenida do Almirante Lacerda for their lunch on Wednesday, have been diagnosed with gastroenteritis.
The dishes included braised chicken fillet with potatoes, braised duck with lotus root, braised pork with preserved vegetables, Sichuan boiled spicy beef entrails, braised pork with deep-fried tofu and stir-fried cauliflower with preserved pork, according to the statement.
An epidemiological investigation, conducted by the Health Bureau (SSM) based on the patients’ eating records, incubation period and symptoms, noted that the incident was “more likely” to have been caused by bacterial pathogens and therefore, the bureau did not rule out the possibility that the number of patients would increase further, the statement pointed out.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau sent officials to inspect the factory immediately after receiving the report, where the officials found the factory staff had a weak awareness of food safety and failed to store the foodstuff properly before cooking, resulting in food safety risks during the food preparation, according to the statement, which underlined that the bureau has ordered the factory to cease its operations.
Taking into account that the factory used to serve meals to educational institutions such as schools and tutorial centres, the Municipal Affairs Bureau notified the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) right after the incident.
Accepting reporters interviews on the sidelines of an event on Saturday, DSEDJ Director Kong Chi Meng said that the 30 students felt discomfort after consuming the takeaway food which they had ordered themselves, underlining that his bureau has told schools and educational institutions to strictly abide by and review the local provision and preparation of meal in line with the recommendations of the IAM Food Safety Department.
Image courtesy of Gut Dr
