Authorities warn of food poisoning risk during hot season

Currently, Ha Tinh is entering the hot season, which greatly affects people's health, especially the risk of food poisoning. Regarding this issue, Ha Tinh Newspaper had an interview with Ms. Dao Thi Phuong - Deputy Head of the provincial Department of Food Safety and Hygiene.

- Madam, what are the potential risks of food poisoning during the hot season?

Hot weather poses many risks to food safety and hygiene as this is a favorable condition for bacteria and viruses to develop more strongly than normal conditions. At the same time, summer also increases the risk of environmental pollution, pollution caused by garbage, wastewater and the strong development of disease-carrying insects such as flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, etc.

On the other hand, hot weather makes food preservation more difficult, easily damaged, decomposed and reduces the nutritional content of food, causing many risks of food poisoning.

Ms. Dao Thi Phuong - Deputy Head of Ha Tinh Food Safety and Hygiene Department

Lack of water for daily life is also a risk that causes concerns about food hygiene and safety, especially in food processing. At the same time, it affects personal hygiene, environmental hygiene, and disease prevention.

- So what are the difficulties affecting food safety management in general and during the hot season in particular?

Although the authorities have made great efforts in management and supervision, the risk of food safety and hygiene is still very high, especially during the hot season. Currently, most food production and trading establishments in the area are small-scale, individual households, and do not really meet the regulations.

The application of science and technology, the application of digital technology in production, farming, processing and business is not timely. The management of food safety through online business faces many difficulties.

The risk of unsafe food at cooked food stalls in traditional markets is very high.

In particular, the management of street food, school kitchens, and collective kitchens in industrial zones is facing many difficulties, with a high risk of food poisoning, especially in hot weather like today.

Meanwhile, the staff working on food safety is still very small, especially at the commune level, and mainly works part-time. Some tasks are not implemented promptly and are not very effective.

In terms of policy, legal documents related to food safety are still inadequate and inconsistent. National standards and regulations in this field have not been fully issued, making management and assessment by functional forces difficult.

Food displayed on sidewalks and market floors.

In propaganda work, despite efforts to implement, it has not yet met the requirements, there are still some food producers, traders, and processors who have inadequate awareness, do not comply with legal regulations, and still have behaviors that affect the health of consumers. On the other hand, the awareness and knowledge of some consumers in choosing, preserving, processing, and using food is still weak.

- What recommendations do you have for consumers in choosing, processing, preserving and using food during the hot season?

Faced with the potential risks of food poisoning during the hot season, consumers need to raise awareness in selecting, preserving, processing and using food.

Must eat cooked food, drink boiled water, practice good kitchen hygiene, clean cooking utensils, practice personal hygiene and use clean water.

An interdisciplinary team quickly tested starch and grease in children's food bowls at a kindergarten in Cam Xuyen. Photo: Archive.

When choosing food, you should look for reputable establishments with clear labels and origins. People should limit the use of street food because it is often not well preserved, plus the hot weather is favorable for pathogens to grow. People with food poisoning with symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain... need to go to a medical facility for timely treatment, and should not take medicine on their own.

As a standing agency in ensuring food safety and hygiene, in the coming time, we will advise the province to strengthen inspection, hazard monitoring, and sample testing to detect risks. In addition to the role of provincial authorities, we also request that local authorities, especially wards and communes, strengthen inspection and supervision according to decentralization, thereby contributing to improving the effectiveness of food safety and hygiene management.

Thank you!

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nganh-chuc-nang-canh-bao-nguy-co-ngo-doc-thuc-pham-trong-mua-nang-nong-post288291.html