Be careful what you eat, even the little ones called candies.
More than a thousand children, most elementary school students, from around 6 towns in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines, had to be rushed to the hospitals and rural health units due to food poisoning after eating durian candies. They were discharged on Sunday, July 12.
Hundreds of Wendy's durian candies are manufactured in Davao, another province in Mindanao and about 4 hours away from Surigao del Sur. Durian is a very popular fruit in Davao, and it's an equally common ingredient on candies, especially since not everyone happens to love the smell of the fruit.
A pack of these durian candies usually contain several pieces, but according to Wendy Aquino, who spoke on behalf of the company, several distributors from the nearby provinces and cities would buy them in bulk and pack them again, this time in small quantities. These small packs are then sold at cheaper prices.
Based on the initial investigation, most of the students then bought these candies around 10 a.m., which could have been recess.
Speaking with Rappler Philippines, Wendy asked for an apology for all those that affected by food poisoning. However, she also refutes the allegations their goods are tainted. It's something they couldn't do as they her family has a deep fear in the Lord, she said. Nevertheless, her mother, Janet, confirmed they are open for any investigation. Other than the reported cases in Surigao del Sur, there have been no other complaints about their products.
On the other hand, Surigao del Sur police had already arrested vendors who had redistributed the durian candies and sold them to various schools. They are also mulling the idea of filing a case against them and the manufacturer.
Johnny Pimentel, Surigao del Sur governor, in an interview with CNN Philippines, had shared schools affected by poisoning have already reopened, and everything is already back to normal in the province. However, they have prevented any vendors from getting into the school premises temporarily until the results of the investigation are released.