68 Students at 8 Elementary Schools and Kindergartens in Daejeon Show Food Poisoning Symptoms... "Ate Lunchboxes from the Same Vendor"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Elementary school students and attached kindergarten children in the Daejeon area ate lunch boxes from the same company and showed symptoms of mass food poisoning, prompting health authorities to conduct an epidemiological investigation.

According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education on the 16th, elementary school students and kindergarten children who ate hayrice lunch boxes during after-school classes on the 13th complained of diarrhea and abdominal pain.

So far, 68 people from 8 schools and 2 attached kindergartens have shown symptoms of food poisoning. An epidemiological investigation is ongoing based on samples from the students and leftover food.

The lunch box company has been ordered to suspend operations. Schools plan to replace meals with home-packed lunch boxes and convenience foods.

A Daejeon Office of Education official stated, "The company supplied lunch boxes to 17 schools and attached kindergartens, but no issues occurred at the other 9 locations." He added, "It is highly likely that viruses were generated during the cooling process of the hayrice in some pots."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.