A monitor from Can Arabí confuses lactose with milk protein and causes an allergic reaction in a child

PalmaThe Minister of Health, Manuela García, explained this Wednesday in Parliament, in response to the PSIB deputy, Patrícia Gómez, an incident related to a food allergy in a school canteen at Can Arabí in the Terreno neighborhood, in Palma. It was in 2025, when a monitor confused a lactose-free yogurt with a product suitable for children allergic to cow's milk protein and gave it to a student with this allergy, who suffered anaphylaxis, that is, a severe allergic reaction. According to what García related, the child's menu was prepared and packaged individually, but did not include dessert. That day, four lactose-free menus had arrived intended for four other special menus and the monitor thought that one of the yogurts accompanying them was suitable for this student. The minister has attributed the event to "human error".

"What I mean is that zero risk in allergies does not exist. You can create protocols, follow them, and protect them as much as you want," she stated. In this regard, she defended the School Alert project and assured that the Ministry has provided adrenaline to educational centers so that children who may need it have it at their disposal. The menu was prepared at the central kitchen of Can Arabí, located in Binissalem.

The explanation comes amidst controversy over the situation of the catering company, which has had its central kitchen's activity suspended as a precautionary measure since June due to sanitary deficiencies. In fact, García announced that the suspension will remain in place until June 2027, after the company accumulated ten complaints since 2021 and eight sanctioning proceedings. The minister justified the decision citing "continuous malpractice" and an "absence of food culture."

The closure was decreed in June 2026 after Food Safety inspectors detected serious hygiene deficiencies and failures in the preparation, handling, and transport of food, which posed a risk to public health. The measure initially affected the supply of nearly 2,000 daily meals to 33 educational centers in Mallorca and forced Education to activate a contingency plan to redistribute the meals among other companies.

Two years of documented irregularities

ARA Balears had already reported that the Can Arabí central kitchen had been accumulating inspections, warnings, and files for repeated deficiencies for two years. Sources familiar with the file claimed that "every time we go there, we find problems" and warned that the incidents were neither new nor unknown to the Administration. Among the irregularities detected were problems with hygiene, temperature control, food preparation and cleaning, staff training, and the prevention of cross-contamination.

The same sources also pointed to a structural capacity problem: the facilities did not have the necessary dimensions to handle the volume of menus the company was producing. Can Arabí was one of the main operators of school canteens in Mallorca and had managed 45 centers. The closure also highlighted the difficulties in guaranteeing dietary adaptations for students with allergies and intolerances during the emergency protocol. Initially, the Department of Education informed families that they could bring food from home if they considered it appropriate, given the impossibility of guaranteeing all the usual adaptations.

Outside of public dining rooms

The health suspension also had consequences for the continuity of public contracts. As this newspaper published in September, Can Arabí has been left out of the new school canteen contracts and does not manage any public center this academic year. Education confirmed that the suspension dictated by Health had been decisive in restricting its participation in the new tenders.

Furthermore, ARA Balears revealed that the company had attempted to provide the service again under another commercial name, through a new candidacy in the procurement procedures. An alert allowed the department to detect the link with Can Arabí and exclude it. The situation had also provoked criticism from families. FAPA Mallorca described the closure as the "chronicle of a death foretold" and questioned the lack of effective oversight regarding the operation of school canteens.