Huambo - Researcher Hilário Salupula said on Wednesday in central Huambo that the incomplete removal of pesticides from agricultural products prepared for human consumption can cause food poisoning and result in death.
The food safety researcher was speaking to ANGOP about the recent deaths of two people and dozens of others admitted to Huambo General Hospital, after one of the victims drank Kissângua, a traditional drink from the Ovimbundu region, made from sprouting corn.
Hilário Salupula said the incomplete hygiene of pesticide operators and the significant concentration of fungi, bacteria and viruses in products prepared for human consumption can also lead to possible food poisoning.
He said that the application of pesticides requires the use of personal protective equipment such as shirts, long pants, a mask, goggles and gloves impermeable to the chemical, boots and aprons for the operator's safety.
The researcher detailed that these chemicals can be applied during the production, storage, transport, distribution and processing of agricultural products, so they need to be well sanitized to prevent food contamination in communities.
He recommended the responsible use of agrochemicals in agriculture, as well as scrupulous adherence to application methods and the adoption of safety measures to avoid any contamination of products prepared for human consumption.
At least 109 people were hospitalized, while two died from food poisoning after consuming a traditional drink made of corn during a funeral ceremony.
Between 2009 and 2010, relevant and worrying cases of food poisoning began to appear in this region of the country due to the consumption of homemade drinks and other agricultural products. LT/JSV/ALH/AMP
