Vietnam Records up to 10,000 Cases of Food Poisoning Annually

Vietnam records 250-500 food poisoning cases every year with 7,000-10,000 people affected, according to Food Safety Department under the Health Ministry. Of the number, 200 people were killed by food poisoning. The figures were released at a conference on implementing green technology for food chain. Several scientists from U.S. and South Korea participated in the event, including two scientists from the U.S. are Prof. Daryl Bert Lund from Wisconsin-Madison University and Prof. Gerald G Moy from the World Health Organization. In addition to the food poisoning figures, Vietnam also records 150,000 cancer cases and 75,000 deaths due to cancers related to consumption of unsafe food. Food poisoning in Vietnam mostly involves school and factory meals. Food safety is critical in Vietnam. According to the government’s General Statistics Office, 3,592 people suffered from food poisoning in 119 cases, including 12 deaths in the first eleven months of this year. (congan.com.vn Dec 20, vtv.vn Dec 19)