Food Supplier Garden Catering Trade Under Investigation Following Mass Poisoning of Children

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A criminal case has been opened in Ferghana following the mass poisoning of children at kindergartens, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan reports.

The incident occurred on 21 February 2026, when 62 children from kindergartens No. 2, 58, and 61 in the city of Ferghana were hospitalized with symptoms of acute food poisoning — abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and fever.

As of today, 27 children remain under hospital treatment, while the rest are under outpatient supervision.

A criminal case has been opened under Article 257¹ of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan ("Violation of Sanitary Legislation or Epidemic Control Rules"). Investigative measures are underway to establish the causes of the incident and determine the potential liability of the parties involved.

According to available information, the company Garden Catering Trade was supplying food products to the affected kindergartens. The company was directly selected to provide catering services to kindergartens in Kuvasoy and Ferghana despite existing legal requirements. Under the applicable rules, catering contractors must have at least one year of operational experience. However, Garden Catering Trade was registered on 21 June 2024 — just one month before the contract was signed — and did not possess the required track record.

The company's founder was previously Ikboljon Bozorov, but ownership was transferred to Moydinjon Gafurov two days ago. The investigation is continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident, including the conditions under which the contracts were awarded and the quality of the products supplied.