The poisoning victims, students at the Shuiguohu First Elementary School, have been sent to the Zhongnan Hospital, affiliated with Wuhan University, for treatment. None of the students is in critical condition, doctors said.

The students, all sixth graders, succumbed to nausea, fever and headaches and began to vomit after their snack break, during which they ate a King-brand dried bean curd produced in Changsha, the capital of neighboring Hunan Province.

The bean curd was produced in 1999 with a shelf life of six months, a student said. According to students, they used to eat candy and bread at the break, and it was the first time that they had eaten this type of dried bean curd.

As of 5 pm on Friday, most students had been discharged from the hospital, with the exception of some 20 students with relatively severe symptoms who will remain under observation, according to the hospital.

The provincial health authority has closed down the bean curd business and is investigating the case.

Parents of the victims expressed their satisfaction at the quick response of the school and the proper handling of the incident. They said they believe that the government will handle the case appropriately in the interest of the children's health.

(China Daily April 19, 2003)