IPOH, Aug 21 — A van with a dirty interior and maggots crawling inside was found to have been used to ferry food which led to food poisoning at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) boarding school on Wednesday.
“The food was cooked at the MCKK kitchen and transported in a van to the dining hall,” Perak Health Department director Datuk Dr Juita Ghazalie said.
“Our early investigations revealed the van was dirty and there were maggots inside. Medical personnel believe the food served was contaminated, but we do not know yet which dish,” she said.
“We are investigating and waiting for the lab results.”
Fifty-five students were taken to hospital when they fell sick after eating at the dining hall.
The students were given oupatient treatment at Kuala Kangsar Hospital but three were referred to the emergency unit and later allowed to return home.
Dr Juita said the students were recovering and able to resume their daily routine. Forty of them were brought home by their parents and expected to return to the college today.
The victims experienced symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dizziness and abdominal pains.
The van belonged to the caterer which the school engaged to prepare food.
Dr Juita said health inspectors were also examining kitchen utensils such as trays, jugs, water dispensers, bowls and plates.
“We have sent several items of utensils and water samples from the kitchen to the Chemistry Department for analysis,” she said.
The hostel kitchen was ordered to be temporarily closed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, and a clean-up order was issued for the kitchen and dining hall.
It was the third mass food poisoning incident reported in the state this year, with the previous cases in March and April.
In March, 33 people were admitted to hospitals in Batu Gajah and Ipoh after consuming food bought from a roadside stall in Seputeh.
The incident, which caused the death of a 47-year-old woman, raised concerns when an analysis showed the food had been contaminated by carbamate. Pesticide residue was also found in samples.
In April, more than 60 students from Sekolah Menengah Sains Tapah had food poisoning after eating roti jala at the school’s dining hall.
Health inspectors later established that eggs used in the preparation of the roti jala dough had not been properly cleaned as chicken faeces and sand were found on the egg shells.
