China

China’s food poisoning deaths up slightly last year

By RJ Whitehead

- Last updated on GMT

Poisonous mushrooms accounted for a number of the food poisoning deaths
Poisonous mushrooms accounted for a number of the food poisoning deaths
The number of people dying of food poisoning grew slightly last year, with figures released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission showing an increase of less than 1%.

The commission said in a statement that 110 people died from food-related causes, representing an increase of 0.9% on the year. The number of people who suffered from food poisoning also climbed by 1.8% to 5,657, out of a total of 160 food poisoning incidents.

Microbe-related food poisoning was the cause of most illnesses, while poisonous animals and plants, including mushrooms, were behind most of the deaths, official news agency Xinhua reported.

Most deaths occurred at home, though most of those who fell ill did so in public dining halls.

While releasing the figures, the commission called on local food safety supervisors to intensify their monitoring of canteens in schools and workplaces, as well as banquet halls in rural areas.

It also called for better education about preventing food poisoning among the public.

Related topics Policy Food safety China East Asia

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