According to the food safety on-duty system in 34/34 provinces and cities and 5 regional institutes, this Tet holiday, the whole country recorded 2 deaths due to food poisoning - a positive sign showing the efforts of functional sectors and community awareness has been raised. However, behind that bright spot, there are still figures worth considering.
In just a few days of Tet holiday, medical facilities recorded 666 cases of examination and emergency due to food poisoning/digest disorders; 418 hospitalizations, 12 transfers and 2 deaths. Food poisoning cases recorded in Ca Mau and Thanh Hoa were fortunately stable and discharged. More than 600 people had to be hospitalized in days that should only have had joy - that is still a warning that cannot be taken lightly.
After Tet, food in many families is still surplus. Braised pork, spring rolls, banh chung, stir-fried dishes cooked many times... continue to appear on the dining table with the mentality of "eating it all". But that regret is potentially risky. Food that is not properly preserved can easily become a "bacterial nest". Overloaded refrigerators, mixed raw and cooked foods, food left for too long but still trying to use again - all are silent dangers.
Many people still keep the habit of reheating food many times. Each time it is heated, the quality of the dish decreases, and the risk of infection increases. Some dishes still look "right", the taste has not changed significantly, but bacteria have promptly multiplied. Food poisoning is therefore not always noisy. Sometimes it is just a feeling of restlessness, exhaustion for a few hours after meals. For young children, the elderly or people with underlying diseases, the consequences can be much more serious.
Entering the festival season, risks come from temporary eateries and street vendors serving tourists. Just one unsafe processing step, a raw material of unknown origin can cause dozens of people to have health problems. However, subjective psychology is still common. Many people think that abdominal pain is just "eating too much", buying medicine to control it instead of closely monitoring dangerous signs such as dehydration, high fever, and continuous vomiting.
Maintaining food safety is therefore not only the business of the health sector, but starting from each family kitchen and each choice when going out to eat. Food must have clear origins and be within its expiration date. Cooked food should be used in a safe time. Minimize repeated cooking. When going to festivals, you should choose clean, crowded establishments, food is processed on the spot and still hot.
After Tet, instead of trying to "resolve" all the remaining food, each family should boldly discard food that is no longer guaranteed. Health is always worth more than regret.
Ahead is still the festival season with millions of tourists, leading to the risk of epidemics, accidents and food insecurity. No one is allowed to be subjective.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan frankly emphasized the spirit of not letting the psychology of the beginning of the year slow down the pace of work. Because while many people are resting and reuniting, the health sector - along with the Army and Police - are still on duty.
Spring travel is to enjoy, to start a new year full of hope. Don't let subjectivity with food safety interrupt that joy. Be a little careful today, peace for the long year ahead.
