42 Chinese kids fall ill after having breakfast in school
By IANSFriday, May 21, 2010
BEIJING - At least 42 primary school students have fallen ill after having breakfast at a school in China’s Shaanxi province, officials said.
The students suffered stomach aches and nausea, symptoms of mild food poisoning, after eating a breakfast of milk and eggs at the Ziwu Street Central Primary School, in Shaanxi province’s Chang’an district Friday, Wang Runnian, a government spokesman, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The children were admitted to a hospital, where they recovered soon and returned to classes in the afternoon.
This was the fifth food poisoning case in schools in the country since April. The first two occurred in Mianxian and Xunyang counties in Shaanxi province. Over 250 students fell ill in the five incidents.
Investigators, meanwhile, said the first two cases were caused due to faulty packaging of milk sold under a local brand, the operations of which has been suspended.
Schools in Shannxi province launched an “egg and milk project” in 2009, in which boarding students eat one egg and a packet of milk for a breakfast. The project is partially funded by the government.
