In yet another twist of events in Greece’s investigation into the mass food poisoning of elementary school students, a food production facility that allegedly supplied the tainted meals and was reportedly completely burned down before it could be inspected, actually has a portion still intact, which will be inspected today by the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) for evidence of staphylococcus, said MEGA TV.
Yesterday, reports said that EFET tried to inspect the Lamia-based production unit, called Gannitsis Logistics last Saturday, but found it closed and planned on returning on Monday. The facility is where the meals suspected of carrying staph were made and distributed to public schools.
In an event that has raised suspicion among Greek authorities and the general public, the facility caught on fire late Sunday night, on the eve of the inspection, and reportedly burned to the ground.
The latest news in a case that is starting to take more turns than a crime novel, just enough has been spared for inspectors to go in and take samples of the facility itself, in addition to samples to be taken of transportation vehicles to determine the source of contamination.
The mass food poisoning incident resulted in 63 elementary children getting sick in seven separate schools last week. Public health authorities told MEGA that they have samples of the meals in their possession, which were sent to them before the fire, and have indeed detected staphylococcus.
Learning of the fire and before the determination that a part of the facilities could still be inspected, Greece’s Supreme Court chief prosecutor Georgia Aidilini intervened in the investigation and ordered Lamia’s district prosecutor to get involved, further buttressing the efforts of Lamia’s fire department that is already looking closely into the possibility of arson.
