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Health
Detergent Mistaken for Salt in Bihar Mid‑Day Meal Hospitalises Hundreds of Students
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 04:36 PM
👁 6
A cook in Bihar inadvertently used detergent instead of salt while preparing the mid‑day school meal, leading to the hospitalization of dozens of children.
A school kitchen in Bihar prepared the daily mid‑day meal using detergent in place of salt, an error that was discovered only after several children fell ill. The incident was reported to local authorities when parents noticed symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain among their wards.
Health officials from the district medical team rushed to the school, examined the affected students and admitted dozens to nearby hospitals for observation and treatment. The affected children were primarily from primary‑grade classes that had received the contaminated meal that morning.
The state education department has ordered an immediate suspension of the cook involved and launched a probe to determine how the detergent was stored alongside food ingredients. Officials emphasized that strict monitoring of kitchen supplies will be reinforced to prevent a recurrence, and parents have been advised to watch for any delayed symptoms in their children.
Health officials from the district medical team rushed to the school, examined the affected students and admitted dozens to nearby hospitals for observation and treatment. The affected children were primarily from primary‑grade classes that had received the contaminated meal that morning.
The state education department has ordered an immediate suspension of the cook involved and launched a probe to determine how the detergent was stored alongside food ingredients. Officials emphasized that strict monitoring of kitchen supplies will be reinforced to prevent a recurrence, and parents have been advised to watch for any delayed symptoms in their children.