Food safety warning

Da Nang's health sector is devoting all its resources to treating three patients suspected of botulinum poisoning. Notably, this is a serious poisoning incident...

The health condition of patients suffering from botulinum poisoning is being closely monitored at Da Nang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

Da Nang's health sector is devoting all its resources to treating three patients suspected of botulinum poisoning. Notably, this is a serious poisoning incident, raising an alarm about food safety and highlighting the need for a more serious consideration of the responsibilities of regulatory agencies, production facilities, and consumers.

According to the Ministry of Health , Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce a highly toxic substance in improperly preserved food, especially in homemade canned goods such as salted or fermented fish and canned meat. In Vietnam, botulinum poisoning is rare but has been recorded in several serious cases, resulting in at least 3 deaths and many patients requiring hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and prolonged intensive care. Specifically, in 2020, at least 16 people were poisoned after eating vegetarian pâté, resulting in 1 death; in March 2021, in Ho Chi Minh City, 1 person died and 2 were in critical condition after eating vegetarian food suspected of being contaminated with this toxin. In March 2023, in the former Quang Nam province, 3 cases of poisoning due to eating salted fish contaminated with Clostridium botulinum type E were recorded, resulting in 10 hospitalizations and 1 death.

Most recently in Da Nang, in February and March, five suspected cases of food poisoning related to fermented fish were recorded in Phuoc Nang and Phuoc Chanh communes. Three of the patients, all siblings from the same family, experienced severe, life-threatening conditions, requiring hospitalization in a coma and severe respiratory failure, necessitating intubation and mechanical ventilation. Following the incidents, Da Nang city authorities quickly intervened, implementing on-site inspections, epidemiological investigations, and seeking treatment solutions for the patients. Due to the patients' critical condition, the Da Nang Department of Health requested urgent assistance from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) for botulinum antitoxin. WHO representatives in Vietnam urgently transported five vials of Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) from international reserves to Da Nang for timely treatment. After administration, the patients' health improved significantly.

In reality, the traditional methods of processing and preserving fermented foods pose a risk to food safety; some people are complacent when symptoms of food poisoning appear, leading to delays in seeking timely medical treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to promote public awareness of safe methods for processing and preserving fermented foods; tighten state management, inspection, and handling of violations by food production and business establishments and collective kitchens. People need to strictly comply with food safety regulations, use food with clear origins, avoid canned goods that are expired or show signs of abnormality; cook food thoroughly and boil water; and absolutely avoid processing or preserving food under unsafe conditions. When suspected food poisoning occurs, people should quickly go to a medical facility for timely treatment.

The recent botulinum poisoning incidents have once again raised alarm bells about food safety. Everyone needs to be more aware of how they choose, prepare, and consume food, because safe meals are the foundation for protecting the health of each family and the entire community. Representatives from the World Health Organization recommend that, in the long term, Vietnam should consider stockpiling a certain amount of antidote domestically so that it can be used immediately when cases occur, instead of relying entirely on international assistance. This is a recommendation that relevant authorities should pay close attention to.

NGUYEN THI ANH DAO

Source: https://nhandan.vn/canh-bao-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-post949169.html