She explained that in private educational institutions, the menu is formed independently, and inspections can only be conducted once a year. In contrast, state schools are required to coordinate their diets.
It has been reported that on October 31, a mass poisoning occurred at the private school "Seitek STEM," resulting in 84 people, including four teachers, being affected. Of these, 13 were hospitalized, while the others received outpatient care. All patients were later discharged.
The preliminary diagnosis was established as "bacterial poisoning of unspecified etiology."
"On the day of the incident, the children had porridge for breakfast, pea soup and noodles for lunch, and shawarma for an afternoon snack, which is a prohibited product for schoolchildren due to the large number of added ingredients. The filling contained minced meat, which is also banned. There were 20 people working in the kitchen, including cooks and assistants. We suspect that shawarma was the cause of the poisoning," noted Mira Kurmanova.
Samples of the used products, as well as swabs from kitchen equipment and utensils, were collected at the scene. An examination of the staff who prepared the food was conducted.
"All collected samples are currently being analyzed, so at this moment we cannot accurately determine the cause of the poisoning. Only after all laboratory tests are completed and results are obtained will the final diagnosis be known. Usually, test results come in within seven to eight days, but after identifying a toxin or microorganism, the analysis must be confirmed in another expert laboratory, which takes an additional 10 to 14 days," she added.
Due to violations of sanitary norms, the school administration was fined twice for a total of 28,000 soms. The kitchen has been temporarily closed until the laboratory research results are received.
