As Egyptians prepare to celebrate Sham al-Naseem on Monday, the Health Ministry has issued warnings urging people to take proper health precautions while consuming traditional foods during the holiday.
Many Egyptians mark the spring festival with a meal of smoked, salted fish (typically herring) prepared according to an age-old method. But the ministry has warned people to be particularly wary of rotten fish available in markets during the holiday period, saying that it might be the cause of food poisoning.
Meanwhile, hospitals and emergency services have been put on high alert, ready to deal with cases of food poisoning, which are common around the festival, due in large part to meals of fish that has not been properly preserved.
In the city of Besion, Gharbiya governorate, fishmonger Kamal Saad told Al-Masry Al-Youm that despite health warnings surrounding the consumption of the salted fish, it has become a staple in the diet of Besion’s residents — not just on the occasion of Sham al-Naseem. According to Saad, Besion has become known as one of the biggest producers and sellers of the fish, as a result of the high demand.
The Health Ministry announced on Saturday that 15 tonnes of smoked herring unfit for consumption were taken off the market, and 14 tonnes are currently being examined as part of rigorous ministry inspections of fish markets, factories and fishmongers in anticipation of Sham al-Naseem.
A ministry source reported that 4,041 factories and fishmongers were visited and 5,105 samples were taken for testing. A total of 1,106 cases met the necessary health and safety requirements for food-handling premises, and 1,442 cases met the requirements for workers handling food. The authorities closed down 395 establishments after inspection, 338 for operating without a license and 57 for putting customers’ health at risk.
The ministry announced that it will continue inspections and will be enforcing strict health and safety standards for food hygiene. The law will be enforced for those who do not respect standards, it added. The ministry told citizens to avoid food products of unknown origin, to check expiry dates and to be sure that food is safe before consuming it.
Meanwhile, one man has died and 13 others from the same family have been hospitalised after severe food poisoning from eating chicken at their home in the city of Al-Yasar, Suez, on Saturday night. The body has been transported to Suez morgue, while the others affected by the poisoning are being treated at Suez General Hospital.
Dr Lutfy Abdel Samia, undersecretary to the Suez Health Minister, was notified by a member of the emergency services that 14 people from a single family had been poisoned by infected food, and that they had been rushed to hospital by ambulance.
Dr Gowhary al-Sayeed, manager of Suez General Hospital, announced a state of emergency at the hospital, and doctors were called in to pump the stomachs of the 13 patients, one of whom was in a critical condition, and another very serious. The fourteenth patient, “Mr S.”, 65 years old, was killed by the poisoning.
Samples were taken from the surviving patients for laboratory examinations.
The poisoning victims in the family included two grandmothers, four children and their spouses and four grandchildren. The family consumed the poisoned chicken as part of their evening meal, at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
A report has been filed, and the local prosecution have carried out the necessary investigations.
