13 December 2024 Media Statement: Investigation Concludes on alleged Foodborne Illness Incident Involving Schoolchildren
Media Statement: Investigation Concludes on alleged Foodborne Illness Incident Involving Schoolchildren
13 December 2024
“The Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) have concluded their investigation into the reported illness of schoolchildren on 18 November 2024 in Mossel Bay,” said Executive Mayor, Andrew Stroebel.
The GRDM previously reported about the children were reported to have fallen ill after consuming chips purchased from local spaza shops and vendors near their school.
The mandate of GRDM is to send similar batches of chips packets for testing to the National Health Laboratory Service – Forensic Chemistry Laboratory, to screen for potential contamination. Whereas the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS) is to send the actual foreign objects found in the food packaging for testing.
“Testing a specific batch of a product is crucial for pinpointing contamination or irregularities linked to a particular production or handling period. This process ensures traceability and prevents inaccurate generalizations about a product’s safety,” said Stroebel
“According to the laboratory test results, the toxicology analysis confirmed that no traces of toxic chemicals were present in any of the batches of chips.”
“The EHPs have concluded that there is no evidence that the chips were cause of the illness of the children,” said Stroebel.
The South African Police Service (SAPS), however, is busy conducting testing on substances found as part of their ongoing investigation.
To report any incidents of suspected counterfeit or tampered foods, members of the public are urged to contact their nearest SAPS or reach out directly to the Garden Route District Municipality’s Environmental Health Services.
- Johan Compion – Senior Manager: Municipal Health, Solid Waste Management & Air Quality Control. jcompion@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 803 1550 / 082 803 5161
- Desmond Paulse – Manager: Municipal Health Klein Karoo. desmond@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 272 2241 / 083 678 6530; 94 St John Street, Oudtshoorn.
- Rinay Cloete – Acting Chief: Municipal Health Mossel Bay. rinay@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 693 0006 / 083 630 6108; C/O Sampson & Marling Street, Ext 23, Mossel Bay.
- Emmy Douglas – Chief: Municipal Health George (Outeniqua). emmy@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 803 1537 / 078 457 2824; Mission Street, Industrial Area, George.
- Jessica Erasmus – Acting Chief: Municipal Health George (Wilderness); jessica@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 803 1522 / 081 346 3118; Mission Street, Industrial Area, George.
- James McCarthy – Chief: Municipal Health Knysna (Lakes). james@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 382 7214 / 082 805 9417; 26A Queen Street, Knysna.
- Gawie Vos – Chief: Municipal Health Bitou (Lakes). Gjvos@gardenroute.gov.za; 044 501 1600 / 083 557 1522; 7 Gibb Street, Plettenberg Bay
- Haemish Herwels – Chief: Municipal Health Hessequa (Langeberg). haemish@gardenroute.gov.za; 028 713 2438 / 083 678 6545; 23 Mitchell Street, Riversdale.
ENDS