Daycare children in Iittala served raw chicken in meal

A food service company in Hämeenlinna, Finland, has been fined €2,000 after serving a noodle dish containing partially raw chicken to around 60 children and staff at Iittala daycare centre last week, Yle reports.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when the daycare’s broiler noodle casserole was found to contain undercooked chicken only after some children and staff had already eaten it. No serious illnesses have been reported, though two guardians contacted the provider, Compass Group, about stomach issues—later determined to be unrelated to the meal.

Hämeenlinna’s early childhood education director Erja Hirvonen called the case “serious,” noting it was unprecedented in the city’s schools or daycares. Compass Group, responsible for the meal, acknowledged the breach and accepted the penalty. The company has since reviewed its cooking guidelines with experts to prevent recurrence.

Raw poultry can carry salmonella or campylobacter, though Finnish chicken rarely contains salmonella, according to health inspector Sanna Tuomi. Most campylobacter cases in Finland originate abroad, with symptoms typically resolving without treatment.

Compass Group’s business director Maarit Virkkala emphasised the rarity of such incidents, stating the company serves over seven million school and daycare meals annually. “This is deeply regrettable, and we’ve taken steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” she said.

The city’s health authorities confirmed they had verified corrective measures with both the company and Iittala’s kitchen staff.