On 18 February 2025, approximately 20 students from the Singapore School of the Arts (SOTA) are allegedly affected by food poisoning symptoms after consuming ready-to-eat meals developed by local food supplier SATS. The students exhibited symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea on 18 Febfollowing consumption of the meals, which were part of the “Singapore Together” Total Defence Exercise.

The meals, specifically designed for national emergencies and distributed as part of the exercise, were intended to simulate scenarios involving power outages and food supply disruptions. SATS, the supplier behind the ready-to-eat meals, produces a range of options that can be eaten at room temperature without the need for refrigeration or reheating, with a shelf life of up to eight months.

The affected students reportedly consumed the chicken bolognese dish. Following the incident, the vice-president of the Faculty of Arts confirmed the occurrence in an email to students on 19 February. The email stated that the incident is under investigation, and the school is taking precautionary measures by recalling any remaining uneaten meals. Students who still had their lunches were advised to return them to the school office, while those who had taken them home were asked to bring the meals back the following day.

SOTA also urged any students feeling unwell to seek medical attention and notify their class tutors. An additional email was sent to parents to keep them informed of the situation.

SATS and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have launched an investigation into the incident. In a joint statement, SFA, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and SATS confirmed that the acute gastroenteritis symptoms were linked to the consumption of the ready-to-eat meals. However, the statement noted that only 20 students were affected at SOTA, accounting for approximately 1% of the students who consumed the meals. Fortunately, none of the students required hospitalization, and the school continues to monitor their health closely.

The meals were distributed as part of the Food Resilience Preparedness Program and were given to over 100,000 students and teachers across more than 90 schools nationwide. Additionally, more than 8,000 senior citizens received the meals through 111 Active Ageing Centres.

Initial investigations have found that the food poisoning incident was isolated to SOTA, with no similar reports from other participating schools or locations. SFA and the Ministry of Education are working with the affected schools to implement further preventive measures, including the replacement of the batch of ready-to-eat meals distributed to the school.