Prima Food closes Keppel factory after food poisoning outbreak
PRIMA Food's main factory in Keppel Road was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday for disinfection after more than 100 people came down with food poisoning in the last 10 days, from eating chocolate cakes from its chain of bakeries.
Six of those who fell ill and had to be hospitalised tested positive for salmonella enteritidis, with symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
They have since been discharged.
The company has stopped deliveries of fresh items to all its 39 outlets, which have switched to making waffles from scratch or turned to their store of frozen buns and pastries for the time being.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) was first notified of a food poisoning case on Nov 23.
More cases surfaced in the next few days and initial investigations indicated that the common link was Prima Deli chocolate cakes, purchased as early as Nov 19.
The ministry has so far been notified of eight such food poisoning cases traced to the chocolate cakes from the company. The last person to fall ill started showing symptoms on Nov 26.
MOH and the Agri-Food and veterinary Authority (AVA) have been checking the Prima Food premises in the last three days to see if it has met environmental cleanliness and hygiene regulations.
Most of the workers who turned up on Wednesday at the Keppel Road factory - which produces the chocolate cakes for all Prima Deli retail outlets - were told to go home.
