Shredded chicken probably to blame for mass UC sickness

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Food safety experts believe shredded chicken served in a meal to students at the University of Canterbury was probably to blame for Sunday’s mass sickness outbreak.

Officials at New Zealand Food Safety (NZSF) have been investigating how more than 100 students fell ill with vomiting and diarrhoea following a meal served at the University Hall and Ilam Student Accommodation.

NZSF’s deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said his officers had been on site to gather evidence.

Staff were being interviewed, with kitchens inspected and records reviewed.

“Foodborne illness symptoms are very unpleasant and we feel for the students affected, particularly those who have had their studies disrupted,” he said.

“We acted promptly to reduce exposure to the risk and prevent it from happening again.”

It was important to “carefully follow the evidence”, he said, “so we can be sure the risk is being properly managed and minimise the chances of it happening again.”

The organisation had a “working assumption” the chicken was the cause of the sickness.

The kitchen that provides catering for the two university halls affected by the outbreak is operated by the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA).

UCSA president Luc Mackay said he was in close contact with senior management, who were working to understand what had happened, but stressed the cause of the students’ illnesses “has not been determined” and his “biggest concern” was getting them the support they needed.

“We are disappointed to hear about the working assumption shared by New Zealand Food Safety. At this point in time, the investigation is still ongoing,” he said.

“We have been working closely with the University of Canterbury to minimise the impact on our affected students and we are grateful to see the support wrapped around them from both the university as well as UniLodge, particularly at this difficult time with all of their exams and assessments.”

Following the outbreak, one student claimed that complaints about University of Canterbury catering have been falling on deaf ears all year and than they now felt their objections were “justified”.

The outbreak comes during end-of-year exams.

Are you affected? Email reporters@press.co.nz

“We felt justified,” a first year University of Canterbury student, who didn’t want to be named, said.

“We’d been saying to parents and other people … we’re going to get sick of this food, we’re not being over dramatic. A lot of us are having issues with our stomachs when we eat at the hall.”

The student lives in different accommodation from those affected with food poisoning over the weekend.

“Apparently, they’re meant to have better food than us.”

The student had sent official complaints to Unilodge, the company that oversees the accommodation, and to university accommodation services throughout the year, but there had been no action to address their concerns, they said.

The quality and quantity of food were insufficient, the student said, with meals often lacking carbohydrates.

Portion sizes differed depending on the student’s physique, they said.

“The bigger the person, the more they get. If you’re a strong athlete, you get served more.

“The person serving gauges how much you’re going to eat.”

They said their weekly accommodation cost $534 a week and $194 of that was for food.

University of Canterbury spokesperson Jilly Resink-Campbell said the institution would make sure no students would be “academically disadvantaged because of this unfortunate situation.”

Staff members had been in contact with all students in the affected halls of residence.

Resink-Campbell said the university was grateful to NZFC “for their swift and supportive response.”