Unlike the Chhapra incident where organophosphorus used in pesticides had contaminated the mustard oil used to prepare the potato-soyabean meal, causing death of 22 students, the severity of food poisoning in the Madhubani incident is low. CNN IBN reports that a lizard was found in the meal. The children started vomiting and were rushed to a local hospital.

In the Chhapra incident, Principal Secretary, Education, Amarjeet Sinha, said that vegetables used in cooking the mid-day meal had traces of organophosphorus.