Dozens of students in Ho Chi Minh City were hospitalized for food poisoning in the past week, posing a lot of concerns when the weather was increasingly hot.
On March 31, Assoc. In particular, in the context of Ho Chi Minh City in the hot season, the risk of food safety is increasing.
Recently, 37 people, including 33 students of Tan Tuc Secondary School, Binh Chanh District, abdominal pain, vomiting, went to District 11 Hospital for emergency treatment, suspected of eating bread bought from the facility in District 6. A few days earlier, dozens of students two systems of Tue Duc High School in Thu Duc City showed signs of suspected food poisoning after meals at school.
The two cases are investigating epidemiology, sending test samples to investigate the cause. Particularly in the case of poisoning at the two Tue Duc facilities, Ms. Lan said the school did not report to the authorities as soon as the incident occurred but took samples to send for tests. This may affect the investigation, because when the food safety team in Thu Duc City approaches, it is more than 24 hours, the sampling of testing is not much valuable.
“When the first thing happens, the first thing is that the school must notify and keep food storage so that the authorities come to work, test and clarify the cause to help promptly prevent the consequences,” Lan said.
According to the head of the food safety industry in Ho Chi Minh City, the prolonged hot weather is a favorable environment for bacteria to grow, accelerate the decomposition of food, need to alert the risk of food poisoning. Collective schools and kitchens should be especially careful in the processing and preservation of food. If you do not cook itself, the contract with the food processing facility from outside, should check regularly, even unexpectedly check to prevent risks.
At this time, many schools are organizing students to visit. Attention should be paid to selecting an event organizer, buying food at a reputable and clear license. Eat food right after buying, not for too long because it is easy to poison, especially dishes like bread.
“The weather is hot, although the ingredients are quality assurance, carefully processed, but the food is finished just to leave at a normal temperature for a few hours, one session may have been broken,” Lan said.
Not to mention, many people processing food still do not have knowledge and awareness of food safety. For example, they mix raw and ripe foods; buy cheap materials of unknown origin and origin; Return to profits should ignore the process of ensuring safety …
Patients suspected of food poisoning treated at District 11 Hospital, March 29. Image: Phuong Le
To prevent food poisoning, people need to raise their awareness of preventing themselves to protect themselves. For example, raw vegetables must be soaked and washed with clean water. Cooking thoroughly food is to ensure that the temperature of the food center must reach over 70 degrees Celsius. Right after cooking because the longer the food is, the more dangerous.
Carefully preserve cooked foods. In order to keep food more than 5 hours, it is necessary to keep continuously hot above 60 degrees Celsius or cold below 10 degrees Celsius. The ripe foods must be thoroughly boiled again, because if only reheated until the evaporation is not enough to disable toxins. Food for young children should not be used again. If the food is suspected of being damaged and contaminated, it is advisable to throw away.
Avoid causing cross -contamination between cooked and raw foods with dirty surfaces, not to keep food raw and cooked together. Wash your hands clean before processing and after each interruption to do other things. The dishes need to be boiled and replaced regularly before reuse. Regularly clean the refrigerator.
Covering food to avoid insects and other animals in closed boxes, shelters, glass cabinets, table cages … Only use products, foods, food ingredients of clear origin, absolutely do not use canned products that are inflated, flattened, deformed, rusty, no longer intact or have an unusual flavor, color change.
Reflecting for functional units if detecting unsafe food production and trading establishments, food trading of unknown origin and labels. Coming to the nearest medical facility for emergency treatment and timely treatment when there are suspected poisoning symptoms.