Beware of tainted food

14 November 2010 08:30 am - 10 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Yohan Perera

The Colombo Epidemiologist Unit today warned the public to be vigilant when purchasing herbs and frozen food items as they might be contaminated due to the recent floods.

Head of the Colombo Epidemiologist Unit Dr. Sugath Peiris told Daily Mirror that the public should be careful when purchasing herbs as there was a possibility that the these items would have got contaminated as a result of the polluted water which may have even contained excreta flowing towards the plantations.

Further he stated that the public should be careful when purchasing items such as ice cream and chicken from the shops which were submerged during the floods as they too may have come to contact with the flood water.

“Three teams led by Directors of Health Ministry have been deployed to inspect these food items and destroy any contaminated food. These teams will also monitor the spread of any communicable diseases such as Cholera and Dengue”, Dr. Peries said

Meanwhile the Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is also keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

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Comments - 10

Faqi Sunday, 14 November 2010 08:34 AM

I can understand that vegetables and leafy greens grown in the flooded areas may be contaminated. But I cannot understand how frozen foods fall into this category, unless they have been submerged by the flood waters. A common sense approach would suffice.

Smart Aleck Sunday, 14 November 2010 08:43 AM

Even the freezers would have been submerged in some of the highly flooded areas. In many areas there were even power failures and power cuts. So meat eaters also should be careful.

Imthiyas Sunday, 14 November 2010 09:23 AM

Faqi, Because the frozens foods are having long expiry date & it might contaminated by the viruses!!!

JoeT Sunday, 14 November 2010 09:44 AM

Three teams for the whole of Sri Lanka, way to go guys!!!

Faqi Sunday, 14 November 2010 09:45 AM

Imthiyas - Viruses unlike bacteria do not multiply outside of a living cell in food products and are not complete cells. Viruses enter the food chain by being handeld by an infected employee due to bad personal hygiene or foods harvested in polluted water. So frozen foods are safe unless handled by an infected person. Long expiry date is of no consequence.

Bird Eye Sunday, 14 November 2010 09:46 AM

Think about the possible power interuptions may have occured.

Imthiyas Sunday, 14 November 2010 10:07 AM

Faqi, Frozen foods are sensible than the fresh my dear, so we dont want to worry about the fresh thats much & frozen foods are very danger & easyly contaminate by virus &.....if any food handeld by an infected employee its normaly get the virus!!! but there are many other ways also to get virus to the foods....

ampare son Sunday, 14 November 2010 02:32 PM

every day you can find contaminate foods . mostly colombo city.

meranchi Monday, 15 November 2010 03:26 AM

effected frozen food refrigerate food like chicken product must be discarded by authority how consumer knows that is effected or not those area where cut off the electricity

TITTA ATTA Monday, 15 November 2010 03:36 AM

How to chech those things as a ordinary consumer. If so they sholud give some hints to follow up

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Beware of tainted food

Comments - 10

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