Clostridium perfringens was detected in 25 hospitalized patients who ate food provided at a hospital in Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture, and the prefectural public health center announced on the 7th that the company that had been contracted to prepare the food would be suspended as food poisoning was caused by the food. We have been suspended from business for 3 days.
According to Saitama Prefecture, on the 2nd of this month, they received a call from Ageo Chuo General Hospital in Ageo City saying, ``Inpatients who ate food provided at the hospital are complaining of diarrhea symptoms.''
According to an investigation by the public health center, a total of 72 hospitalized patients ranging from their 30s to 90s had complained of symptoms, and Clostridium perfringens was detected in 25 of them.
All of the people who reported symptoms are said to have mild symptoms and are on the road to recovery.
The prefectural public health center concluded that the food poisoning was caused by the food provided, and suspended operations for three days from the 7th at Nissin Medical Foods in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, which had been contracted to prepare the food.
Nissin Medical Foods commented, ``We sincerely apologize for the great pain and inconvenience caused to the affected patients and their families.''
Saitama Prefecture is urging people to eat cooked meals as soon as possible without leaving them unattended, and to store them in small portions and refrigerating them to cool them down quickly.