Bacteria in sweets that sickened thousands identified

Manila: The bacteria Staphylococcus has been identified as the culprit after exotic-flavoured sweets sickened nearly 2,000 students in the southern Philippines last week, senior officials said

Authorities have arrested food vendors including members of a popular non-Catholic Christian group.

The durian, mango, and mangosteen-flavoured Wendy Candies, which were seized from food vendors near the schools where students suffered food poisoning, were all “positive with staphylococcus”, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acting deputy director-general Maria Lourdes Santiago said on Thursday.

A five-day laboratory test that began on Saturday ruled out the presence of salmonella, E-coli, and other bacteria from the contaminated candies, Santiago said, adding, “The staphylococcus contamination might have begun when the candies were prepared at a candy manufacturing company based in Davao City or during the time the candies were recooked and repacked by the food vendors.”

“We did not find mycotoxin contamination from any of the seized candies,” Santiago said, adding that investigations were ongoing for possible pesticide contamination.

The result of this test will be announced on Friday or Saturday, other sources said.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Janette Garin said, of the 1,925 students who were treated for food poisoning in several hospitals and medical centres, only one has remained hospitalised.

Garin called on other government agencies to strictly monitor all food vendors with stalls near schools and offices.

Roadside food vendors and owners of small restaurants called “turo-turo” must practice good hygiene, Garin said.

Investigations are ongoing to find out if the simultaneous food poisoning incidents happened accidentally or intentionally, said Lyndon Lee Suy, spokesman of the Health Department.

At the same time, non-Catholic Christian evangelist Apollo Quiboloy called for legal assistance for all members of Kingdom of Jesus Christ who were arrested for selling contaminated candies at schools in nine towns where the food poisoning incidents occurred last Friday.

Complaints were filed against seven of the 10 arrested food vendors, including the owner of the candy manufacturing company that sold the products to the arrested vendors, the police said.

Fruits such as durian, mango, and mangosteen which are grown in the southern Philippines are also used to flavour ice cream, coffee, and other baked products.