Food poisoning killed 28 people in China during the July-September
period this year, sounding a food safety alarm bell to Chinese
people and public health administrators.
The Ministry of Health said November 9 that 41 food poisoning cases
were reported in the three months, with 2,328 people affected. The
number of poisoning cases, people affected and people killed all
rose from the previous three months, said Zhao Tonggang from the
ministry's department of health laws and supervision.
The official said at a press release that the lack of sanitary
measures in food processing and sales, abuse of food additives, and
mistaken intake of toxic food such as certain mushrooms were the
major causes of the poisonings.
Bacteria contamination was reported in most of the cases. Zhao
acknowledged that hygiene problems existing in food processing have
led to numerous poisonings in school canteens and restaurants. Poor
management of some pesticides and rat poison was another hidden
danger.
Zhao urged health administrative departments at all levels to
strengthen law enforcement in supervising food processing
businesses, and publicize food poisoning cases regularly so as to
raise public awareness of food safety.
(People's Daily 11/9/2000)