Vietnam is estimated to have recorded 64 food poisoning cases in the first seven months of this year, affecting 3,400 people, including eight fatalities, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said. In July, the country has also reported 19 such cases, attacking over 1,000 local people in 15 provinces and cities nationwide. Of the total 13 poisoning cases in June, four were caused by natural toxins, six were resulted from microorganism, one by chemicals and the remaining cases has not been found. More and more toxic chemicals in food samples along with a series of collective food poisoning cases have been reported in recent times, raising the public concerns over food safety and hygiene violation. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that Vietnam loses VND340 billion ($16.51 million) from food poisoning a year. (GSO Jul Edition)
