Fifteen students from Raffles Girls’ Primary School fell sick after eating Lao Shu Fen noodles last Wednesday (October 1). For those who don’t know, Lao Shu Fen (老鼠粉) refers to Silver Needle Noodles, a short, flat, and slightly curved rice flour noodle popular in Malaysia and Singapore that resembles a rat’s tail.
The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have since stepped in to investigate the incident.
According to an email sent to Shin Min Daily News, the suspected case of mass food poisoning happened on Wednesday afternoon. Some students reportedly bought food from one of the canteen stalls, and shortly after eating, they felt unwell and started vomiting.
Parents who alerted the media said they hope the school will take the matter seriously, investigate the stall involved, and suspend its operations for cleaning and checks. They also urged the school to strengthen supervision of all canteen stalls to prevent similar cases in future.
“Food safety is very important, especially during the exam period. The school has a responsibility to ensure that students are protected,” one parent said.
In response to media queries, the CDA, SFA and Raffles Girls’ Primary School issued a joint reply confirming that investigations are ongoing.
The statement said that 15 students reported symptoms of gastroenteritis on that day, but none were hospitalised. All 15 students returned to school the next day (October 2).
The school has been updating parents through its communication app and is assisting the authorities with investigations while continuing to monitor students’ health.
“Food safety is a shared responsibility. The Singapore Food Agency sets and enforces regulatory measures, while food operators must also play their part by following good food safety practices. The authorities will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who break the rules,” the statement said.
Parents said Lao Shu Fen had a strange smell
According to the email, several students had bought Lao Shu Fen and crab sticks from the noodle stall that day and noticed a strange smell. Some later began vomiting. Some students were treated at the school’s sick bay, while others visited doctors.
Parents also claimed that the same stall had received complaints before.
Screenshots attached to the email showed messages from a parent group chat with more than 30 members. One parent said her daughter vomited after eating the Lao Shu Fen, and that when she arrived at school, she saw more than 10 students waiting in the sick bay.
Another parent said the noodles looked more yellow than usual. One more parent added that her child found the noodles too soft and not like the usual texture, raising concerns that the food might not have been fresh.
School suspended sale of suspected food
In their joint statement, the CDA, SFA and Raffles Girls’ Primary School said that as a precaution, the school had immediately suspended the sale of the suspected food items.
School staff have been closely monitoring the affected students and checking on other students, who were found to be fine.
