Bologna, 10 May 2024 – Not just the case in the province of Modenawhere well 132 children and 7 teachers of 4 elementary schools accused i typical symptoms of food poisoning after eating i cherry tomatoes supplied to schools as part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s food project. In recent hours, other suspected cases have been reported in various areas of Romagna: 40 years Forlì (vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache symptoms; a couple of visits to the emergency room; none are serious), 20 to Faenza, one to Rimini. Cases too to Cesena.
The cherry tomatoes
The cherry tomatoes were distributed to primary school children as morning snack. “The objective – explains the ministry website dedicated to the project ‘Fruits and vegetables at school‘ – is to encourage children to consume fruit and vegetables and support them in achieving healthy eating habits, spreading educational messages on the generation of food waste and its prevention”. After the cherry tomatoes, the distribution of carrots, strawberries and cherry tomatoes again.
The Region: several cases, stop in all schools
The cases of illness – writes the Region in a note to the superintendent – occurred “in various school buildings”. “The symptoms can be traced back to the consumption of cherry tomatoes as part of the ‘Fruit in schools’ project and presented itself with a very short latency compared to consumption (15-30 minutes) and was characterized by nausea and vomit associated in some cases with burning of the oral and perioral mucous membranes; in some children the two sets of symptoms occurred together, in others separately. To speed up communication times – continues the Region – we ask you to send this note to all schools in Emilia-Romagna where the ministerial project in question is active, as we request to suspend consumption of the product involved until the conclusion of the ongoing analytical investigations, aimed at identifying the substance implicated in the genesis of the episode in the samples of cherry tomatoes already taken by the Local Competent Authorities”.
The Romagna Local Health Authority: analysis in progress
Now, onto the case of cherry tomatoes distributed in the school canteens of the institutes that joined the project, there has also been a move‘Ausl Romagna which – for precautionary purposes – has forwarded a note to the schools informing them that it has activated analysis and monitoringbut above all asks all principals to do not serve the aforementioned cherry tomatoes to children anymore of schools: to stop, in short, distribution and consumption in school canteens.
The first information on the analysis conducted by Asul Romagna will only arrive later next weekbut in the meantime the line of prudence has evidently prevailed.
The distributing coop
Not only does the Local Health Authority ask to “communicate who coordinates this project, because we would need information on the supply chain of cherry tomatoes already consumed and those usable in the future”. The note bears the signature of Roberto Bandini, director of the department Food Hygiene and Nutrition Forlì-Cesena. The distribution of cherry tomatoes for Emilia Romagna and the Marche is handled by the Kiwi Sole Op (Producers’ Organisation) which has two offices in the region, one in the Bolognese area and one in the Ferrarese area, but the administrative headquarters is in Sala Bolognese .
