Singapore school caterer fined S$13,000 after 45 pupils fell ill
What's new: The Education Ministry let Gourmetz keep serving five schools, but warned that any repeat serious lapses could end its contract.
Gourmetz was fined S$13,000 on Oct. 9 for food safety breaches linked to a January gastroenteritis outbreak at River Valley Primary School that sickened 45 students and sent one to the hospital. Singapore food authorities found multiple lapses at the caterer’s facility at 1 Enterprise Road, including a damaged meat chiller door, dirty seafood racks, black spots on a vegetable chiller ceiling, false time labels on bento meals, raw marinated chicken on dirty pallets and uncovered frozen pastries. Gourmetz pleaded guilty to three charges. The Ministry of Education issued a formal warning but allowed the company to keep operating under the central kitchen meal model after it moved to a larger kitchen and added in-house food safety audits.