Beware of food and drinks of unknown origin
Recently, the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department received information about a food safety incident involving some students of Binh Minh Secondary School, Sinh Qua village, Binh Minh commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi.
Hanoi Food Safety Department said that on the afternoon of September 30, at the gate of Binh Minh Secondary School, a group of strangers distributed free Boncha honey tea with peach oolong flavor to students, of which 263 students drank Boncha honey tea with peach oolong flavor.
After drinking, the first student NHH (grade 6A, 12 years old) had symptoms of abdominal pain in the navel area, nausea, the school took him to the Commune Health Station and Thanh Oai General Hospital. On the same day, the hospital received 12 patients with the same symptoms; headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting from Binh Minh Secondary School. The patients were diagnosed with food poisoning. To date, the health of the 13 students is stable.
Through investigation, it was found that the products the students used were Boncha honey tea with peach oolong flavor and C2 water with pink guava and passion fruit flavor, both in 450ml volume.
The authorities seized 234 bottles of Boncha honey tea with peach oolong flavor, 2 bottles of C2 water with pink guava and passion fruit flavor, of which 98 bottles were used; the remaining 136 bottles were unused. The district's interdisciplinary inspection team sealed them and handed them over to Thanh Oai District Police.
The investigation team took 2 samples of the above products and sent them to the National Institute for Food Safety Testing for testing, but the test results are not yet available.
Faced with the above situation, the Food Safety Department requested the Hanoi Department of Health to urgently coordinate with relevant agencies to investigate and trace the origin of food to clearly identify the food supply; take food samples and specimens for testing to find the cause.
Although health experts have warned students of the risk of food poisoning when they eat food of unknown origin from strangers around the school gate, similar incidents have occurred in Hanoi.
Previously, at Nguyen Quy Duc Secondary School (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi), 11 students on their way to school bought candy (of unknown origin, green candy wrapper, foreign writing) and shared it. 45 minutes later, the students felt tired, had headaches, and felt nauseous.
In other localities, there have been a number of food poisoning cases due to eating food outside school gates. In addition, many types of snacks and soft drinks of unknown origin are currently sold at many school gates. This is a difficult problem to control in Hanoi as well as across the country today.
Hanoi tightens food safety around school gates
According to the reporter's observations, around most schools in Hanoi, snack shops and mobile stalls "spring up like mushrooms" with many strange foods of unknown origin to serve the needs of students. The common feature of these food items is that they are processed right on the sidewalk, creating dust and unsanitary conditions... However, these dishes are still attractive to students, becoming a danger to their health...
Head of the Hanoi Food Safety Department Dang Thanh Phong said that from now until the end of the year, food safety management will continue to be strengthened, in which the city will focus on implementing the topic "Strengthening food safety control in and around school gates in Hanoi" for educational institutions.
Hanoi will review and count educational establishments, collective kitchens, and school canteens in the area under its management. At the same time, the authorities will investigate, review, and regularly update food service establishments, street food establishments, and grocery stores that sell prepackaged foods and ready-to-eat processed foods according to each industry and food item around school gates.
In addition, the City synchronously, drastically and effectively implements food safety control work in and around school gates with a focus on high-risk food groups, ready-to-eat food and drinks, and establishments providing ready-to-eat meals.
In particular, the work of inspecting, monitoring, and tracing the origin of food in and around school gates is carried out seriously, regularly, and continuously; organizations and individuals violating food safety are strictly handled, and information is widely disseminated on mass media.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung - National Institute of Nutrition, using food of unknown origin and not ensuring safety can cause acute symptoms such as: abdominal pain, diarrhea, digestive disorders, food poisoning...
In particular, if eaten for a long time, it will affect the body's metabolism and make it susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity. The use of chemicals, pesticides, and growth stimulants remaining in foods will seep into the body, accumulate, and cause cancer.
Many shop owners cannot prove the origin of the candies sold at school gates. Most children follow their friends, partly attracted by the eye-catching food, the attractive sour and spicy taste, and partly because of the super cheap price, so despite being warned by their families and schools, they still eat and drink without thinking about the unpredictable consequences.
To protect children from the risk of food poisoning at school gates, Dr. Nguyen Trong An - former Deputy Director of the Department of Child Protection and Care, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, recommends that the most important thing is education from the family, children are allowed to eat at home and are told not to eat snacks.
Parents should always be vigilant, provide knowledge and guidance to their children to avoid this risk, distinguish between dirty food and clean food, reputable addresses and places that do not ensure food safety. The school also recommends that parents should not use street foods that do not have a certificate or commitment on food safety.
The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has requested that all units strengthen the dissemination of information to schools to students not to use products distributed or donated of unknown origin. Schools and parents should educate their children not to eat snacks outside the school gate and absolutely not to accept food or drinks from strangers.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/nguy-co-ngo-doc-thuc-pham-quanh-cong-truong-hoc.html
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