Donated milk boxes destroyed after food poisoning rumour

The authorities in Lao Cai Province have destroyed thousands of milk boxes donated to the pupils because it is reported that some pupils had food poisoning after drinking the milk.

The authorities in Lao Cai Province have destroyed thousands of milk boxes donated to the pupils because it is reported that some pupils had food poisoning after drinking the milk.

  

The authorities in Lao Cai Province have destroyed thousands of milk boxes

Tan Y Guyen, chairman of Suoi Thau Commune, confirmed that they had to destroy the milk because their expiry date was near.

"A company from Hanoi gave 4,368 milk boxes to Suoi Thau Nursery School and 7,172 milk boxes to Suoi Thau Primary School on November 17, 2017. The milk was due to expire on April 9, 2018, just four months after the donation day," he said.

He went on to say that on November 22, 2017, he received a directive, ordering the local authorities not to give the pupils milk because "pupils at some province had food poisoning after drinking donated milk." On April 4, they decided to destroy over 10,000 milk boxes after the communal Food Safety and Hygiene checked on the milk.

After the photo of the milk being destroyed was posted on the internet, it has attracted attention from many people. Some said it was wrong of the company to donate milk that was a third of a year away from expiry date. Others said it was normal and the authorities wasted the milk because of some rumours.

Many said the local authorities should handle the case better and respect the donor. If there is really a food poisoning case, they should have reported the issue and asked for some simple tests instead of fear-mongering and wasting the milk which is valuable to children in mountainous areas.