Bihar children death after eating mid-day meal update.

Food poisoning epidemic keep occurring now and then and it is unfortunate that children or people die every year because of these instances which can occur in school mid-day meal, marriage functions, religious functions, etc.

Possible ways of food poisoning, one is, pre-formed toxin in the food like staph and bacillus cereus.  Both poisoning occur when someone eat partially cooked food including rice and vegetables.  When the partially cooked food is kept at room temperature overnight toxins can form from the bacteria.  The key point is food should not be kept for more than 2 hours at room temperature at no cost.  Even if this food is reheated and served it can still cause poisoning as most of the toxins are heat stable.  In mid-day school meal or in marriage functions, this is very likely that the food is served at 11 am.  The food either might have been prepared in night before or early in the morning and then it stays at a room temperature for hours together.

Another is poisoning because of insecticides and pesticides. The classical toxic oil syndrome, a name given to spain epidemic in 1981, which killed over 600 people was linked to either adulterated coiza oil which had been intended for industrial rather than food use.

In the same epidemic some people linked the poisoning because of organophosphorus compound which is often used as an insecticide. 

In the present epidemic till the final report comes possibility of all three will remain.  Preformed toxin usually cannot cause deaths in such a large number. Canned food can cause such epidemic because of botulism.  But is unlikely in the present epidemic.

The basic precautions are:

1. Food should be properly cooked for the right time and at the right temperature.

2. Food should be properly hot when eaten.

3. Vegetables should be properly washed in running water for 15 minutes.

4. Egg and meat should be properly and fully cooked.

5. Half cooked rice can be dangerous.

6. Water should be boiled before used.

7. All liquids should be boiled.

8. Eating fruits which can be pealed by hand are safe.