Morocco records between 1,000 and 1,600 cases of poisoning on average per year,according to a Bulletin of epidemiology and public health, issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
Approximately 30 to 45% of poisoning cases result in hospitalization, shows the bulletin indicating that 20 to 25% of food establishments monitored by health services present a risk of exposure to food poisoning.
The bulletin states that the pre-prepared and cooked foods offered for sale in these establishments are handled or stored in sanitary conditions which do not guarantee their safety, adding that chemical risks represent a major source of foodborne illnesses.
Foodborne diseases are a major cause of death worldwide and a major obstacle to social and economic development.
The World Health Organization’s global estimates of foodborne illness show that each year one in ten people become ill from eating contaminated food, and an estimated 420,000 die from it.
Children under five remain particularly vulnerable to food poisoning, with an estimated 125,000 dying each year worldwide.
Diarrhea is the most common cause of contaminated food, affecting 550 million people each year and causing 230,000 deaths.
The bulletin confirmed that the activity of food risk assessment remains untapped, despite the basic principles of food safety and risk management procedures, and all this is overseen by the National Office of food safety, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health.
The bulletin called for addressing issues related to the problem of food poisoning by monitoring food-borne illnesses and monitoring exposure to biological and chemical food contaminants, as well as strengthening communication activities and developing a sector strategy for citizen awareness
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.