The increasing number of pupils falling sick in and around schools countrywide has prompted Eastern Cape health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth to call for action against the shop owners who sell expired products.
Meth said if found guilty of selling expired products, such shop owners should be held accountable and face the full might of the law.
The MEC’s call follows the admission of more than 100 pupils to Frontier Hospital in Komani this week.
The children presented with abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath. Some even had high temperatures.
One of the schools that had its pupils complaining of stomach pains and rushed to the hospital on Friday morning is in Mlungisi township in Komani.
There has been a spike in the number of suspected food poisoning cases around the country in the past few weeks.
Cases of children dying in Gauteng
In some cases in Gauteng, a number of children did not live to see another day after consuming snacks, sweets and biscuits bought from the spaza shops which are mainly owned by foreign nationals.
So far, no fatalities have been reported in the Eastern Cape as a result of suspected food poisoning.
However, one of the pupils, a 14-year-old girl, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) on Thursday. This after she was rushed to the hospital complaining of stomach pains.
“The learner is in a stable condition in the ICU. An urgent chest X-ray will be done today [Friday]. We wish her a speedy recovery,” said Meth.
“We are calling on municipalities working with relevant stakeholders like law-enforcement agencies to intensify food safety inspection operations.
“We cannot afford to have shop owners selling expired goods to our children, which at times includes expired baby formula. The law must take its course.”
Food safety inspection raids
The Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 and the National Health Act of 2003 empowers municipalities to conduct food safety inspections’ blitz, fine transgressors, and close shops that do not comply with the law.
Meth said although tests are yet to confirm the cause of illness on more than 100 learners, all the children reportedly said they bought snacks and food from hawkers or spaza shops.
“We welcome the food inspection blitz and raids by the Buffalo City metro and Enoch Mgijima local municipality,” said Meth.
“We are calling for all our municipalities to embark on similar raids on a regular basis and not only when there are cases of suspected food poisoning.”
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