Improper food storage may have caused mass poisoning at "Sozvezdie".

      October 22, 2025 13:10 Society NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Polina Zubova

      The suppliers of food for the Sozvezdie school in Arzamas, where a mass poisoning of pupils occurred earlier, did not violate product quality requirements. This was stated by Evgeny Ivanov, head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Administration for the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Republic of Mari El, at a briefing on October 22, NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" correspondent reports.

      According to Ivanov, after the incident Rosselkhoznadzor did not conduct an inspection at the school itself; however, specialists analyzed the activities of all suppliers working with the educational institution using the automated "Mercury" system. The products they had previously supplied underwent laboratory testing, and no positive samples were found.

      "In the 'Mercury' system no violations by these suppliers were detected. The products should have been of acceptable quality in principle. However, any high-quality product can be spoiled during storage," Ivanov noted.

      He added that the "Mercury" system does not allow verification of whether storage conditions were observed directly in the school cafeteria. At the same time, traceability of the products from the producer to the recipient revealed no violations.

      Recall that the mass poisoning occurred at the Sozvezdie school in Arzamas last week. After lunch in the cafeteria pupils developed symptoms of an intestinal infection. The school was temporarily closed for quarantine, classes were moved to remote format, and the building underwent sanitary treatment. The cause of the outbreak was norovirus. It was found in staff of the school food unit and in children. Rospotrebnadzor is conducting an investigation.

      The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case. The investigation is under the supervision of the prosecutor's office. Oversight of school food-service units has been intensified by order of the department of education.

      According to Mikhail Puchkov, Minister of Education and Science of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 50 people sought medical assistance. Most are being treated as outpatients, but the number of hospitalized children reached 15.

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