Three children die following suspected food poisoning from instant porridge

Three children in Mdantsane have died from suspected food poisoning after consuming instant porridge purchased from a supermarket on Friday.

The Buffalo City Metro has since urged supermarkets and spaza shops to carefully inspect their products and suspend the sale of the suspected instant porridge.

The product will be named once tests have been concluded.

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On Saturday morning, metro health inspectors, along with the South African Police Service, the Department of Health, and BCM Law Enforcement, responded to a report that four children had been rushed to the hospital after consuming instant porridge.

Three of the children, aged between 1 and 4 years, passed away, with two of them from the same household.

The fourth child, aged 7, was discharged in stable condition, and further tests will be conducted.

Police are investigating the incident.

Authorities visited the supermarket allegedly responsible for selling the instant porridge and temporarily closed it down, detaining all batches of the suspected product.

Samples will be sent to the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) for microbiological and chemical analysis.

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All batches of the suspected product have been removed from shelves and storage for detention until laboratory results are available.

“Currently, our municipal health teams, together with members of the security cluster, are visiting the affected homes to obtain more information as part of an ongoing investigation,” said the municipality.

Food poisoning: Call for removal of product

The municipality has also instructed the supermarket’s regional managers to voluntarily remove the suspected product from circulation across the city until tests are completed.

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“While the direct link to the fatalities has not been scientifically established, we suspect organophosphate poisoning based on clinical information obtained from the treatment facility (Nontyatyambo Health Clinic). However, this is subject to the results of product sampling tests from the NHLS,” said a municipal spokesperson.

The metro has been conducting weekly operations targeting supermarkets and spaza shops. Raided outlets are fined, closed, and arrests made for various violations.

Mayor Princess Faku will visit the families of the deceased children on Sunday.

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“I’m saddened and devastated by the death of these little children. We extend our condolences to the families and the community of Mdantsane. This is tragic, and I trust that law enforcement agencies will uncover the cause of their deaths,” Faku said.