Food poisoning killed 28 people in China during the July-September period this year, sounding a food safety alarm bell to Chinese people and public health administrators.

The Ministry of Health said November 9 that 41 food poisoning cases were reported in the three months, with 2,328 people affected. The number of poisoning cases, people affected and people killed all rose from the previous three months, said Zhao Tonggang from the ministry's department of health laws and supervision.

The official said at a press release that the lack of sanitary measures in food processing and sales, abuse of food additives, and mistaken intake of toxic food such as certain mushrooms were the major causes of the poisonings.

Bacteria contamination was reported in most of the cases. Zhao acknowledged that hygiene problems existing in food processing have led to numerous poisonings in school canteens and restaurants. Poor management of some pesticides and rat poison was another hidden danger.

Zhao urged health administrative departments at all levels to strengthen law enforcement in supervising food processing businesses, and publicize food poisoning cases regularly so as to raise public awareness of food safety.

(People's Daily 11/9/2000)