Photos: Operations of Artashat High School No. 3 Cafeteria Suspended

The State Food Safety Inspection Body of Armenia has revealed that the cafeteria and kitchen of Artashat High School No. 3 are in need of renovation and re-equipping. All sanitary and hygienic norms have been violated; production, trade, and auxiliary sanitary facilities are not maintained in a repaired and clean condition, which does not exclude the risk of cross-contamination. There is no hot water supply, and the equipment is outdated.

As a result, the operation of the cafeteria and kitchen at Artashat High School No. 3 has been suspended until the completion of their major renovation and the elimination of identified violations. There are no public catering facilities at the Artashat secondary school.

The inspection body has also approached the Prosecutor's Office of Armenia, presenting necessary supporting documents indicating that during inspections at Artashat High School No. 2, a fake veterinary certificate of type 5 confirming the slaughterhouse origin of meat was found.

Laboratory tests of pizza samples taken from the cafeteria of Artashat High School No. 5 (where students reported feeling unwell on October 15) indicated that pathogenic bacteria, including salmonella and golden staphylococcus, were not identified. Results regarding the group of enterobacterial rods (E. coli) and mesophilic aerobic facultative anaerobic bacteria (MAFAB) will be announced at the beginning of next week.

It is worth recalling that on October 15, 2019, 23 students from Artashat High School No. 5 were admitted to Artashat Medical Center diagnosed with food poisoning. The State Food Safety Inspection Body had determined that the children’s health deteriorated after consuming pizzas made with sausages produced and supplied by A/V Anahit Vardanyan. On October 16 and 17, inspectors from the Ararat regional center of the State Food Safety Inspection Body and those sent from Yerevan conducted inspections at all schools in Artashat.

The process is ongoing, and supervisory measures will be carried out in schools across all regions of the republic and in Yerevan.