Children in Samarkand kindergarten served poor-quality food

QALAMPIR.UZ received a complaint regarding children being served poor-quality and spoiled food at preschool educational institution No. 1 in the Nurabad district of the Samarkand region. The complainant also reported that meals were prepared without adherence to hygiene and storage requirements, and that more than 50 children allegedly fell ill with the same disease at the institution. The regional Department of Preschool and School Education has issued a statement on the matter.

It was noted that a working group was formed to study the situation with the participation of specialists from the Samarkand regional Department of Preschool and School Education and the regional Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Public Health. During the investigation, it was found that the cooks at preschool institution No. 1 had failed to follow proper cooking technologies and showed negligence, resulting in the burning of sweet buns prepared for dinner. The management of the outsourcing company “Proof Food” LLC was informed about the incident.

Additionally, the claim that the outsourcing company supplied poor-quality meat products was not confirmed. According to the epidemiologist of the Nurabad district medical association and the district branch of the Sanepidkomita, from September 30 of this year to the present day, no reports of food poisoning among kindergarten children have been received. The allegation that more than 50 children were sick with the same disease was also denied.

It is worth noting that earlier, cases of mass poisoning were reported among children in preschool institutions in the Piskent, Buka, Akkurgan, and Kuyi Chirchik districts of the Tashkent region. Following those incidents, a criminal case was initiated against the responsible persons of several private outsourcing companies under Part 1 of Article 257-1 of the Criminal Code (violation of sanitary legislation or rules for combating epidemics). It was reported that poor-quality dairy products may have been the cause of the children’s illnesses. The 3.2 percent kefir supplied to those preschools was found to have been produced in a workshop located in the Akkurgan district.