5,000 Vietnamese Hospitalized for Food Poisoning Yearly in 2006-2010

Vietnam recorded an estimated of 5,000 people hospitalized for food poisoning annually in the 2006-2010 period, including over 50 fatalities, statistics by the Ministry of Health showed. The country reported 22 food poisoning cases in the first four months of 2011, affecting over 1,400 people with six fatalities, including five cases, 37 affected people and two deaths in April. Last year, 3.4% of total 175 such cases across the country were related to vegetables and vegetarian products, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene said, adding that 41 out of 664 food samples originated from vegetarian products contained excessive levels of pesticide residues. To cope with matter, the department has built up a program to control pesticide residues in vegetables at production facilities and wholesale markets in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and some localities. In fact, more and more toxic chemicals have been found in food samples in recent times, raising the public concerns over food safety and hygiene, experts noted. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the Southeast Asian country loses VND340 billion ($16.43 million) from food poisonings per year. (Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi May 9 p2)