Alarming rise in cases of food poisoning

The recent increase in the number of food poisoning cases in Jeddah is cause for alarm, said Sami Badawood, Jeddah Health Affairs director.
Badawood told Arab News that hospitals in Jeddah received more than 150 food poisoning cases in a single month as a result of eating out at popular restaurants. Salads, in particular, were the main culprits in inducing poisoning.
Badawood warned residents against eating out with the advent of the summer heat and advised people to eat only at restaurants known for maintaining hygiene, ventilation and food storage standards.
Many residents have suggested that municipality officials intensify inspection of restaurants and monitor food quality and hygiene levels.
Muhammad Al-Bushri and Adnan Al-Harbi, both citizens, told a local newspaper that environment health departments at local municipalities should stop restaurants from serving salads and dishes with mayonnaise in warmer seasons.
Saeed Al-Ghamdi, another citizen, said cases of salmonella poisoning increase during the summer.
“The Jeddah Municipality should implement strict monitoring of restaurants just like authorities recently did in Makkah,” he said.
Khaled Al-Madani, a therapeutic nutrition consultant, said food poisoning symptoms kick in a few hours after eating.
Symptoms involve nausea, abdominal pain and contractions, vomiting, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, fever, headache and fatigue.
“In most cases, the body recovers on its own, but sometimes, patients need urgent medical attention at an emergency unit,” he said.
“Poor ventilation causes food to rot,” said Madani. “Yet people are well aware the maintaining personal hygiene makes all the difference in protecting themselves against illness.”