An investigation into mass illness among residents at a Canterbury University hall has confirmed “contamination of a chicken dish” due to unsafe preparation processes was to blame.
More than 150 students from University Hall fell sick after their dinner on November 3, in the middle of the busy end of year exam period.
Health New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries worked together to establish the bacteria Clostridium perfringens was the cause.
It came from inappropriate handling of shredded chicken served to students as part of their meal.
New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said “both the bacteria and the toxin it produces were as detected in faecal samples”.
The National Public Health Service’s Claire Salter added, “The illness usually follows consumption of food that has been kept at unsafe temperatures for too long.”
Arbuckle wanted to reassure students that food safety officers have carried out inspections to ensure there’s no ongoing food safety risk at the hall.
“If we thought students were at risk we would take further actions to prevent it. Our work to review the kitchen’s practices and procedures to prevent the issue from arising again continues,” he said.
Salter also pointed to “corrective actions” being taken.
University Hall is managed by UniLodge, but the kitchen is run by the University of Canterbury Student Association (UCSA).
In a statement the UCSA expressed it was “incredibly disappointed by what has occurred”.
Acting-president of the association Caleb Banks said: “Our Executive continue to work with our Senior Management who are responsible for the delivery of catering at University Hall to ensure that the highest hygiene standards are achieved at all times.”
