The number of people sick as part of an outbreak in Singapore has risen to almost 200.

In February, 20 students from the School of the Arts (SOTA) became ill after having ready-to-eat (RTE) meals during the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme, as part of the Total Defence Day commemoration.

This program involved the distribution of more than 100,000 RTE meals to 200 locations such as secondary schools, pre-universities, institutes of technical education, public agencies, and Active Ageing Centers. SOTA received 1,475 meals. Total Defence Day occurs annually on Feb. 15 and marks Singapore’s fall to the Japanese in 1942.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and food caterer SATS, paused the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme until investigations are completed.

Negative food testing
Responding to questions from members of Parliament about the incident, Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, gave an updat on the situation.

“Members asked about the processes in place to vet suppliers of RTE meals for government programs. SATS, like all SFA licensed establishments, is required to comply with food safety requirements and subjected to food safety inspections. We agree that we need to restore public confidence in RTE meals. As an investigation is ongoing, it is still too early to state the steps to take,” she said.

Investigations by the Ministry of Health and SFA revealed the number of verified cases of gastroenteritis is 187, of which 184 were from schools, two from Active Ageing Centers and one from a public agency. All patients have since recovered and none were hospitalized.

Five options were prepared at a SATS halal certified kitchen in Singapore. They were chicken Bolognese pasta; curry chicken with biryani rice; fish porridge with sweet potato and pumpkin; sweet spicy tomato fish with Basmati rice; and vegetable marinara pasta. Meals can be kept without refrigeration and served without reheating at ambient temperatures.

SFA has collected samples and tested meals but no foodborne pathogens have been found. The agency said it would take corrective and enforcement actions if any lapses are detected.

Food supplier response
SFA inspected SATS’ premises in January 2025, before the start of the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme and the site was judged to be clean with no food safety violations uncovered. Each meal produced under the program was tested for leaks. Also, an SFA-accredited laboratory conducted microbiological testing to ensure food safety.

SATS Food Solutions said it has been collaborating with authorities to determine the cause of the outbreak.

“We are working with them on a comprehensive review to assess food safety not only within our kitchens, but also at last-mile distribution and the point of consumption. Food sample tests by SFA have not detected any foodborne pathogens in the RTE meals prepared by SATS thus far. Joint investigations are ongoing and SATS remains committed to continue working with the relevant ministries and SFA, to learn from this incident, and to restore confidence in ambient RTEs meals.”

In a previous statement, SATS said the investigation will include an examination of products, production sites and other consumed items.

“We ensure the highest food safety and quality standards by using advanced sterilization techniques for our ambient RTE meals. All ingredients are traceable to their sources, with suppliers undergoing rigorous audits. Our quality assurance team oversees every production step, from preparation to final inspection. Our facilities meet internationally recognized food safety certifications, reflecting our commitment to leading industry standards.”