ASEAN summit food poisoning - lessons

After the revelry and the success of the Cebu Asean Summit has died down the ghost of the food poisoning incident still haunts us. In one report 103 people fell ill including two beauty queens and our very own Broadway star.

In one of the internet news it was said that the spokesperson for the summit downplayed the incident and considered it as an isolated case.

For as long as this magnitude of food poisoning is downplayed we will continue to take the safety of people for granted. So much effort and logistics has been deployed to secure the safety of the delegates, participants and performers from terrorists but they were not spared from the ignorance of what makes food unsafe. Are we truly world class? Many times we fail to elevate the standards of the more important things with that of our world class neighbors. Remember the hierarchy of basic needs - food, shelter, clothing? Food comes first.

What could have gone wrong? What was overlooked? What don't the organizers know?

The depth and breadth of what makes food unsafe is unknown to many people and many events organizers. Shortcuts in food safety happen during crunch time when many have to be fed in a short period of time. There are food safety guidelines for offsite catering. Should the caterer be cleared after a kitchen autopsy what needs to be established is the time and temperature abuse the food has undergone before consumption. Any food safety professional knows that Palabok has all the characteristics of a potentially hazardous food.

First and foremost, is the organizer's appointed person to take charge of the food a certified food safety practitioner? Was the criteria only price and taste? Secondly, does the caterer have a food safety practitioner that oversees the operation? Thirdly, does the caterer embrace food safety? Finally, is food safety in the consciousness of the organizers?

If you have questions on food safety please forward to roberto.dimayuga@ecolab.com.