Doctor suspects imported pudding after kids fall ill

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty-six children were rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for treatment of suspected food poisoning after they ate imported chocolate pudding on Wednesday, a doctor at the hospital said.

Five of the 26 children, who are students of a state-run elementary school in Central Jakarta, had to stay for further treatment at the hospital. They suffered from dehydration following constant vomiting, Abdul Latief, a physician at the emergency unit, said.

Abdul, who is also a member of the hospital's toxicology team, said none of the children were in serious condition. "All of them can go home tomorrow," he said, adding that he strongly suspected the chocolate pudding was the cause of the children's symptoms.

The pudding, packaged in small brown plastic containers with the brand Elle Vire and a picture of the Eiffel tower on the label, had "Made in France" written below.

There was no expiry date or government registration number on the pudding package. It is compulsory for the date and number to be printed on every imported food item that enters the country.

The children bought the chocolate pudding from a man who sold it near the school yard. Some children told The Jakarta Post that they bought the pudding for Rp 300 (US$0.07) per container.

The school headmistress, Tri Andaria, said some children vomited about 30 minutes after eating the pudding, and others felt nauseous and dizzy.

A student said the seller, a young man with fair skin and wearing a hat, was not seen before Wednesday at the school. The man left the area when teachers from the school wanted to ask him about the pudding.

Concerned about the children's worsening condition, Tri instructed them to stop eating the pudding and collect the containers, while some teachers rushed the sick children to the hospital.

An official from the Ministry of Health, Thomphson Sianipar, came to the hospital after hearing about the suspected poisoning, and said the puddings were not registered with the ministry or on its imported food list.

The government issued a decree in June that stipulated imported food from France, the Netherlands and Germany was to have a dioxin-free certificate with it before entering the country following the decision to ban imported food from Belgium.

Thomphson was not sure if the incident was related to dioxin poisoning.

"We need to investigate further to determine that," he said. (04)