IPOH, Nov 22 — Perak recorded 475 cases of food poisoning in schools in the first 10 months of this year.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the victims were from 15 schools.

"Of the 15, 10 were ordered closed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988,” the Chenderiang assemblyman told the Perak legislative assembly here today.

Among the causes of food poisoning was food supplied by outsiders, most notably during Ramadan for the breaking of fast, Hari Raya, Speech Day among others, added Dr Mah.

"School administrations should have informed the district Education Department on the chosen caterer to allow monitoring and checking of premises by the department,” he said.

He suggested twice yearly checks on school canteens as a preventive measure and for inspectors to take food samples if there was even a risk of contamination during such checks.

He also said school administrators should also conduct self-checks at canteens.