SINGAPORE, April 15 — Investigations into the gastroenteritis outbreak that affected 187 individuals during a national Total Defence exercise in February have found no conclusive evidence linking the illnesses to the ready-to-eat (RTE) meals distributed during the event.
According to The Straits Times (ST), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a joint statement today: “This means that both food safety and clinical findings did not pinpoint the ready-to-eat (RTE) meals as the definitive cause of the incident.”
Laboratory tests were conducted on meal samples, environmental swabs taken from food preparation surfaces and equipment at Sats’ premises, as well as stool samples from those affected and food handlers.
Sats is a Singapore-based company that provides food solutions and gateway services, including the preparation of the ready-to-eat meals for national emergency preparedness exercises.
“Results showed no foodborne pathogen,” the statement said.
SFA also found no food safety lapses during its investigation into the manufacturing processes and premises of Sats.
The RTE meals were part of Exercise SG Ready, a nationwide drill held from Feb 15 to 28 to prepare the public for emergency food resilience scenarios.
About 150,000 meals were planned for distribution, but the rollout was halted on February 20 after reports of gastroenteritis surfaced.
By that point, over 100,000 meals had been sent to more than 200 locations.
According to earlier reports, 184 of the affected cases came from schools, two from active ageing centres, and one from a public agency.
ST said the 187 cases represented just 0.2 per cent of all participants in the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme.
