CHO, FDA to monitor food outlets in the city

ADVERTISEMENT

The City Health Office (CHO) and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)-6 will conduct joint regular monitoring in food establishments in the metropolis in the aftermath of alleged food poisoning in Dakasi milk tea restaurant at Mandurriao district.

Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog stressed that health authorities will ensure that food establishments should comply with sanitary requirements for safety and protect public health.

CHO chief Dr. Urminico Baronda said that food handlers and employees in food establishments should secure health certificates prior to employment.Health authorities advised food establishments to ensure proper food handling procedures.

Preliminary results of the investigation pointed to a common source food borne outbreak which sickened 66 people who drank milk teas with flavors of bubble, Oreo, halo-halo, Okinawa and taro, and add-ons of egg pudding, pearl, chocolate pudding and coconut jelly.

The patients got sick of diarrhea or watery stools of at least thrice daily and were admitted to hospitals due to fever, abdominal pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting hours after drinking milk tea.

“The food intake history of cases showed that all of them consumed a beverage from same establishment before they got ill. The most probable source was milk tea with egg pudding add-on,” according to preliminary report on food borne illness conducted by the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in Manila.

“The outbreak was probably caused by Salmonella specie which often infects milk and egg. Food may be contaminated by bacteria during food processing or handling,” the FETP report stated.

ADVERTISEMENT