WTH is in the Indian rojak?

[xtemujin]

April 7, 2009
Rojak food poisoning

1 dies, another in coma
25 others are in hospital after rojak meal By Nicholas Yong, Sujin Thomas & Diana Othman

ONE person is dead, another is in a coma and 25 others have been hospitalised so far in what is possibly Singapore's worst case of mass food poisoning.

The victims had all eaten Indian rojak, a local favourite, from a popular store at a Geylang Serai hawker centre over three days, beginning last Wednesday.

A total of 111 people sought treatment at hospitals as a result, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday, adding that 84 were given outpatient treatment.

Untold others have visited their own doctors, or shrugged off the symptoms and resorted to self-medication after eating at the stall, which neighbouring stallholders say sees about 100 patrons a day.

Among those warded at hospitals was a woman who was two months pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. It is unclear if the food poisoning was directly responsible for this.

The cause of the outbreak has not been established yet. But some victims said the gravy for the rojak tasted 'off'.

The dead woman, canteen assistant Madam Aminah Samijo, 57, had eaten the rojak on Friday, along with her husband, Mr Omar Ali, who is in his 50s.

Madam Aminah became violently sick on Friday night, and suffered vomiting and severe diarrhoea. She was taken to the Changi General Hospital, but lapsed into a coma and died yesterday morning without regaining consciousness.

Police have classified the case as unnatural death. An autopsy will be conducted.

Mr Omar, who is in his 50s, has also been warded at CGH, but his family said his condition is improving.

The most seriously ill of the other victims is Madam Noraini Kasim, 59, who is lying in a coma at Alexandra Hospital. She has been warded since Saturday afternoon and has a history of diabetes.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[b0iw0nder]

I've seen a uncle at West Coast Food center, cook the Char Kuay Teow and he keeps the left overs in a pot and any customers who orders, he takes a portion of it and mixes with the new noodles. People still buy. People still eat it. Still tastes good. Besides, the cockles are always left exposed to the outside environment without any refrigeration.


It's just an isolated case.

GMAN

It seems to me that keeping raw or partially cooked food exposed and without refrigeration is just an accident waiting to happen.. :think::think:
There might be microbes present that can survive the high temperatures in frying, boiling, etc.

 

[Exposure]

fyi, there is always a risk of eating fried food outside, becos hawkers wanted to cut costs, the frying oil is used over and over many times, this kind of over-usage may result "cancerous" by the over-used frying oil.

i am not sure does MOE check the frying oil in hawkers stalls.

:sweat:

 

[weevil84]

The old lady had existing illness in her. The food-poisoning made it worst.


GMAN

Hey, I read that the report from CGH stated that the lady who died had no pre-existing medical conditions. Her kidney failed after it was infected by the bacteria. So, wondering which lady you were referring to. The link between the lady who miscarriaged and the food poisoning incident cannot be established as yet though.

 

[denniskee]

Something like ONE HUNDRED AND TEN people had food poisioning from that stall.

It's not just two that died.

the man interviewed by the news team said he went toilet every hr:sweat::sweat:

feel so sad for the 2 families.

 

[Exposure]

the short ans is No. simply becos frying oil is heated to boiling point and there is no bacteria active left in the wok or pot. they are supposed to filter off the carbon from over cooking. they may be encouraged to change the oil, but i know some hawkers recycle and pour fresh oil in after some of the oil oil is being absorbed in the fried food.

besides, there are many grade of frying oil in the market. i was told there might be a recycled oil market from fast food chain and some of these are sold off in the after market.

The oil biz is good money actually as it is one of the most used item. but you and i are under their mercy when they cut corners or got cheated by oil suppliers. :sweat:

it is a compliticated scenario and very hard to proof or catch. An old hand in cooking will be able to tell a tin of partially rancid recycled oil from the fresh one.

sad to hear that, over-recycled frying oil may lead to cancerous effects

 

[denniskee]

this inccident makes me think, nowadays, families like to go for organic food. which i think weaken the immune system. old hokkien saying, eat dirty, grow up healthy.

like that go out with fiends how, go where find organic food stalls, also, would the friends want to pay $$$$ for those food.

go army how? get mindef to start cooking organic food, combat ration also must be organic? go to war how?

 

[denniskee]

u see, nowadays, schools also dont sell laksa and "unhealthy" food like that, so childrens are exposed to less unhealthy food, pls note unhealthy food not = to dirty food that cause food poisoning. are their immune system be much lower than us back in the olden days?:think::think:

even most adults nowadays dont eat hum. likely to reduce their immune system?:think::think:

 

[Exposure]

u see, nowadays, schools also dont sell laksa and "unhealthy" food like that, so childrens are exposed to less unhealthy food, pls note unhealthy food not = to dirty food that cause food poisoning. are their immune system be much lower than us back in the olden days?:think::think:

even most adults nowadays dont eat hum. likely to reduce their immune system?:think::think:

in addition, kids spend more time on PSP and computers rather than physical sports ... fast food with soft drinks instead of things like soup noodles with plain water

 

[mattlock]

this inccident makes me think, nowadays, families like to go for organic food. which i think weaken the immune system. old hokkien saying, eat dirty, grow up healthy.

like that go out with fiends how, go where find organic food stalls, also, would the friends want to pay $$$$ for those food.

go army how? get mindef to start cooking organic food, combat ration also must be organic? go to war how?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
sorry. that's like saying that people who grow up in hiroshima are healthier and have less cancer than people in countries with less radiation.

 

[denniskee]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
sorry. that's like saying that people who grow up in hiroshima are healthier and have less cancer than people in countries with less radiation.

alamak, of cause not until that extend lar.:bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[Ninja23XX]

Hey, I read that the report from CGH stated that the lady who died had no pre-existing medical conditions. Her kidney failed after it was infected by the bacteria. So, wondering which lady you were referring to. The link between the lady who miscarriaged and the food poisoning incident cannot be established as yet though.

If you had read the report and heard the news, she had low blood pressure, which forced the doctors, to not being able to render dialysis when her kindneys failed.


GMAN

 

[Ninja23XX]

In the 1970's, 1980's, we had street side food stalls. The stalls all operated in the street. They cooked there, people ate and didn't fall sick at all. Infact, the food prepared tasted better than what we eat today.


Man created his own illness.


GMAN

 

[cheryl852]

i think someone might had added sm foreign stuffs into the food.. i mean the stall has been ard for 20+ years and suddenly 100+ people, after consuming the rojak, got into hospital. so damn serious quite suspicious lor.
anyway the unforturnate malay lady passed away because her immune system as pretty bad to begin with.. she had anaemia.
the miscarriage one is another sad incident.. damn how fragile life is.

 

[Ninja23XX]

i think someone might had added sm foreign stuffs into the food.. i mean the stall has been ard for 20+ years and suddenly 100+ people, after consuming the rojak, got into hospital. so damn serious quite suspicious lor.
anyway the unforturnate malay lady passed away because her immune system as pretty bad to begin with.. she had anaemia.
the miscarriage one is another sad incident.. damn how fragile life is.

I believe it might have been sabotage? Due to competition? NEA said the stall met all it's requirements in cleanliness.


GMAN

 

[ahbian]

Its tragic that people have died. But as investigations are going on, why the need for speculations?

 

[cheryl852]

yup i agree.. plus the stall is quite famous. i dont believe any food contamination can be this bad..

 

[weevil84]

If you had read the report and heard the news, she had low blood pressure, which forced the doctors, to not being able to render dialysis when her kindneys failed.


GMAN

Hmmm... from what I interpreted from the reports, the low blood pressure was also due to the food poisoning...

 

[Ninja23XX]

Hmmm... from what I interpreted from the reports, the low blood pressure was also due to the food poisoning...

Well, the news said, she had an existing issue of Low blood pressure. Food poisoning does not cause low blood pressure.


GMAN

 

[weevil84]

"Doctors said dialysis was out of the question because she was already suffering from low blood pressure. " - quoted from CNA report datede 6 April

I guess you're referring to this. In any case, food poisoning leads to diarrhea and diarrhea when in severe cases leads to low blood pressure. That was how I came the conclusion that her blood pressure was not a pre-existing condition. However, this statement is indeed ambiguous and I agree to disagree. Cheers.