RIYADH, 30 May 2005 — With the advent of summer, the Ministry of Health has launched a public awareness campaign to educate the people on the risk of food poisoning caused by the intake of food prepared under unhygienic conditions or exposed to an unhealthy environment.
“We have distributed hundreds of thousands of leaflets and brochures in hospitals and health centers targeting both mothers and children not only in Riyadh but also in all outlying areas,” Dr. Tomader Kurdi, director of the Food Safety Program at the Ministry of Health, told Arab News.
She stressed that her program is in need of more manpower. “Currently the Food Safety Program staff is very limited. Specialists like food microbiologists, nutritionists, veterinarians and epidemiologists are required to develop a comprehensive program.”
According to Kurdi, the rate of food poisoning cases in the Kingdom is 15-16 persons per 100,000 of the population. With the improvement in surveillance system and field investigation, more such cases have come to light.
Referring to the measures being taken to deal with food poisoning, Dr. Kurdi said: “The first step is to educate the food handler. For this we have made posters, pamphlets and other educational materials for safe food handling, cooking and storage.”
The materials also provide useful tips on what should be done to avoid food poisoning, such as proper hand washing, cooking properly and other precautionary measures.
These publications were distributed in all regions of the Kingdom and to other agencies like municipalities to educate food handlers working in public places. Food safety hints, including cooking at the right temperature are also explained to avoid food-borne diseases.
According to Dr. Kurdi, who is an author of a book on the same subject, “Food poisoning is caused by the ingestion of food contaminated with microorganisms or toxins.”
It is also caused by chemicals that are added to foods accidentally or intentionally. Another hazard associated with contaminated food is gastroenteritis.
Dr. Kurdi explained that large volumes of meat or chicken prepared at temperatures below 64 degrees C. is considered to be under-cooked and therefore, susceptible to salmonella infection.
Similarly, vegetable salads exposed to the ambient temperature for a long time poses a risk of food poisoning if consumed. Food handlers are being educated on all these hygienic aspects, including the need for washing hands thoroughly.
The MOH official said the food safety program is also coordinating with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs as well as the Ministry of Interior in dealing with food poisoning outbreaks from public sources. Health care personnel are being taught about the importance of investigating outbreaks of diseases. “We teach them how to control the number of cases of illness and secondary infection. We also recommend measures to check the outbreak and prevent occurrence of similar incidents in the future.”
