From pre-school food to total defence meals: A look at Singapore’s 2025 gastroenteritis outbreaks
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SINGAPORE – Hundreds of cases of gastroenteritis have been reported this year, with the latest outbreak at six E-Bridge pre-schools.
A total of 185 people – 173 pupils and 12 employees of the pre-school chain – had developed gastroenteritis symptoms as at Nov 21.
Operations of the pre-schools’ food supplier
Gastroenteritis, commonly known as stomach flu or food poisoning, is a condition where the stomach and intestines are inflamed. Symptoms typically include abdominal pain and vomiting.
Infection can occur through contact with infected individuals or contaminated food or water.
The Straits Times looks at five other gastroenteritis outbreaks in Singapore in 2025.
Total Defence Day ready-to-eat meals
The ready-to-eat meals were a new line developed by food solutions provider Sats for public consumption during national emergencies.
ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
In February, 187 cases of gastroenteritis
The cases consisted of 184 from schools, two from active ageing centres and one from a public agency. This represented about 0.16 per cent of all participants, said Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, in Parliament on March 4. No one was hospitalised.
A total of 20 School of the Arts (Sota) students were among those who were sick.
One 16-year-old student, who wanted to be known only as Lim, said she had diarrhoea on Feb 19 after eating two boxes of chicken bolognese pasta the previous day.
Another student said she ate a box of curry chicken briyani on the morning of Feb 18, and had a stomach ache hours later.
“I went to the toilet three times in the span of 2½ hours,” said the 16-year-old, who did not want to be named.
Sota vice-principal Ann Tan advised in an e-mail to parents that unconsumed meals should be returned as a precaution, and students who fell ill after eating the food should seek medical attention.
Following Sota’s cases, active ageing centres and schools that had yet to distribute the meals as part of the exercise did not proceed with the distribution
In a joint statement, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Sats said they were investigating the cases.
The authorities found no conclusive evidence
On April 15, the authorities said: “Both food safety and clinical findings did not pinpoint the RTE meals as the definitive cause of the incident.”
Meal samples, environmental swabs of equipment and contact surfaces at Sats’ premises, as well as stool samples from affected individuals and food handlers, were taken for laboratory testing. Results showed no food-borne pathogen, according to the joint statement.
SFA’s investigation of the Sats’ manufacturing premises and processes also found no food safety lapses.
PCF Sparkletots in Mountbatten
None of the affected pupils and staff at the pre-school were hospitalised.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
In August, 24 children and two staff at PCF Sparkletots pre-school in Mountbatten developed gastroenteritis symptoms
None of them were hospitalised, said the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and SFA.
The authorities added that the affected pupils and staff recovered and returned to the pre-school on Aug 26.
Mulberry Learning’s Punggol centre
The incident at Mulberry Learning’s Punggol centre affected 18 people, said the agencies.
PHOTOS: MULBERRYPUNGGOL/INSTAGRAM, MULBERRYLEARNING.COM
Two children from Mulberry Learning’s Punggol centre were hospitalised after developing gastroenteritis symptoms
The incident at the pre-school in Northshore Plaza, reported on Aug 27, affected 18 people, said the agencies.
Those who fell ill with gastroenteritis symptoms comprised 17 pre-schoolers and one employee.
By Sept 2, 14 children and the employee had recovered.
Raffles Girls’ Primary School
The sale of a canteen food item potentially linked to the cases at Raffles Girls’ Primary School was suspended as a precaution.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GOOGLE MAPS
On Oct 1, 15 pupils at Raffles Girls’ Primary School (RGPS) reported symptoms of gastroenteritis
The sale of a canteen food item potentially linked to the cases was immediately suspended as a precaution, and a check of the rest of the pupils – who appeared to be fine – was also conducted.
ST understands that the affected students had consumed noodles.
E-Bridge Pre-School in Dawson Road
At the E-Bridge Pre-School branch in Dawson Road, 20 pupils and four employees fell sick.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
From Sept 18 to Oct 1, 20 pupils and four employees at E-Bridge Pre-School in Dawson Road developed gastroenteritis symptoms
“Preliminary investigations suggest that this outbreak is likely caused by norovirus, a virus that can spread from person to person and cause gastroenteritis,” the authorities said at the time.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis. It spreads quickly through contact with an infected person’s vomit or faeces, or even by touching contaminated surfaces, food or water.
The pre-school chain said that its Dawson Road branch had undergone thorough cleaning and disinfection, and implemented additional measures, such as hourly wiping of high-touch surfaces and reinforced handwashing routines for staff and pupils.
However, in November, a bigger outbreak occurred at its six other pre-schools – one each in Bukit Panjang, Canberra, Montreal, and Woodlands Drive, and two in Yishun. One student was hospitalised.
Preliminary results from tests conducted on samples of food catered from the central kitchen for six E-Bridge Pre-School outlets showed that the food was not contaminated
In response to queries from The Straits Times on Nov 24, EtonHouse International Education Group, which operates E-Bridge Pre-Schools, said that “no link has been established between the central kitchen and the reported cases”.
