JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 students from a primary school in Gauteng Province, South Africa, were taken to hospital for suspected food poisoning on Wednesday, raising alarms about food safety in schools, provincial education authorities said.
The students from Emmangweni Primary School in Tembisa, Gauteng, complained of dizziness and vomiting after eating achar, a spicy condiment made of fruits and vegetables blended with spices and vinegar, which they bought from fellow students at school, said the provincial department of education.
The department said the achar was sold by two Grade Seven students on behalf of a woman involved in the Community Work Program, a government program to provide a job safety net for unemployed people of working age.
"We are deeply troubled by the increasing number of food-borne illness cases reported in our schools, and we are working closely with authorities to fully investigate the cause of this incident," said Matome Chiloane, a member of the executive council for education in Gauteng Province.
Chiloane said the students were taken to different medical centers and 10 students were discharged after their condition stabilized, while six of them remain under medical supervision.
"Investigations are in progress to ensure that proactive measures are put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future," said Chiloane.
South Africa has recently experienced more food poisoning cases among children. On Monday, a total of 43 students in KwaZulu-Natal province were taken to the clinic with suspected food poisoning. On Oct. 6, six children died from suspected food poisoning in Johannesburg, and over 130 students from Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces were hospitalized for similar reasons earlier this month.
South Africa's National Department of Health deployed an 80-member investigation team, including environmental and health inspectors, to investigate these accidents and inspect food sold in local tuck shops. The investigation began on Monday, and the exact cause of the suspected food poisoning cases is still under investigation. ■