Earthquake Relief Efforts: Ministry of Health urges safe food donations

The Ministry of Health issued an announcement on Sunday, urging donors and well-wishers to contribute basic food items to the community affected by the recent earthquake, rather than donating cooked meals.

The recommendation comes due to the concerns over food safety, as donated rice boxes and meals could quickly become contaminated with harmful bacteria depending on the weather conditions.

Without immediate consumption, the food could become poisonous and pose serious health risks. Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses or toxins in the food. Symptoms may range from mild to severe and differ depending on type of bacteria and viruses.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea. To mitigate these risks, the Ministry advised donors and well-wishers to donate basic food items such as rice, oil, salt, dried fish and egg instead of cooked meals. For fresh meat and fish, the Ministry encourages the donation to be made through respective administrative bodies to ensure the systematic management of the donated items.