DepEd urged to raise awareness on food safety after Mindanao poisoning incidents

An environmental group on Sunday urged the Department of Education to implement activities that will raise students' awareness of food safety regulations and practices following the food poisoning incidents in Mindanao.

Citing a report from the Health department in Caraga Region, the ECoWaste Coalition said at least 1,600 public elementary and high school students in Surigao del Sur had fallen ill after consuming expired durian candies sold by ambulant vendors.

Sonia Mendoza, EcoWaste Coalition president, also cited another food poisoning report last week affecting 16 students from Dualing Elementary School in Aleosan, North Cotabato. 

The victims, it said, experienced vomiting and abdominal pains after eating spoiled siopao.

“The poisoning of hundreds of young students in Mindanao... justifies the strengthening of national and local food safety regulations and their enforcement, as well as the provision of more effective food safety education campaign targeting members of the school community,” Mendoza said.

EcoWaste also noted that the close-to-2,000 food poisoning victims recorded across the country from June 7 to July 10, were students of public elementary schools.

“We urge the Department of Education to update its current food safety guidelines in line with Republic Act (RA) 10611 and to conduct food safety awareness programs in coordination with other national government agencies and with local government units, barangay councils and parent-teacher associations,” Mendoza said.

RA 10611 or the Food Safety Act seeks to strengthen the food safety regulatory system in the Philippines. It mandates the DepEd to implement a consumer education program on food and food products.

Moreover, the EcoWaste suggested that the DepEd conduct its food safety awareness-raising activities at the start of each academic year.

Mendoza also appealed to business operators and vendors to stick to basic food safety rules to prevent food poisoning incidents.

The manufacturer of the durian candies had apologized for the incident but maintained that the products they sold were of good quality. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/LBG, GMA News