Specialist officers from the Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression Directorate-General (CCF) organise samples taken from the shop for analysis. - Photo: CCF
PHNOM PENH: At least 41 people in Preah Sihanouk town were hospitalised on Thursday (Dec 26) after eating sandwiches contaminated with two types of bacteria, according to the Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression Directorate-General (CCF).
The CCF, under the Ministry of Commerce, reported that the affected individuals experienced symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting and were admitted to various hospitals. The incident is being treated as a case of food poisoning.
Following the outbreak, officials from the provincial branch of the CCF inspected the food outlet responsible.
Twelve samples, including sandwiches and their ingredients, were collected for laboratory analysis to identify the source of contamination.
“Analysis results showed the samples contained E. coli bacteria at levels exceeding the permissible limit (more than 100 CFU/g) and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria at levels above safety thresholds (more than 10,000 CFU/g),” the CCF stated.
Colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) is a measurement used in microbiology to quantify the number of viable microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, in a gram of a given sample, reflecting their ability to multiply and form colonies.
Staphylococcus aureus, the CCF explained, can cause food poisoning within one to six hours of consuming contaminated food, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain and diarrhoea.
The Preah Sihanouk provincial health department responded to the incident with its emergency and food safety team on December 28.
The group interviewed five patients hospitalised the previous evening, who reported symptoms including fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue and dehydration.
All five patients had recovered by December 29.
As an immediate measure, the health department’s food safety team provided hygiene guidance to the food outlet that sold the contaminated sandwiches.
Provincial health department director Lim Samean confirmed that the cases were not severe and resulted in no fatalities.
“All five patients were admitted on December 27 and were discharged this morning [Tuesday, December 31],” she said.
“We also provided additional guidance to the food outlet.”
On December 31, a team led by a deputy provincial governor conducted further inspections and gave additional recommendations to the restaurant owner.
The CCF stated that the contamination indicated poor hygiene practices during food preparation, manufacturing and handling.
The agency urged all food business operators to strictly follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) five keys to food safety, which include maintaining cleanliness, separating raw and cooked foods, cooking thoroughly, keeping food at safe temperatures and using safe water and raw materials.
These measures aim to ensure consumer safety and help food operators avoid legal consequences. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
