Poison in food, how it happens: 'By the time the family realises it’s usually too late'
There have been several recent cases of people falling ill in Gauteng from food contaminated by organophosphate or rat poison.
Five children died after consuming chips bought from a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
John Perlman speaks with Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Operations and Stewardship Manager of CropLife South Africa and Director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre.
Listen below.
Five children died after eating poisoned food from a spaza shop on the weekend.
There have been 10 additional deaths related to poisoned food in Gauteng since February.
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Last month, organophosphate and Rattex pellets were identified in several edible items after laboratory tests.
Verdoorn says the symptoms of food poisoning and poisoned food are completely different.
With regular food poisoning symptoms will only start roughly four hours after consumption.
For poisoned food, the symptoms appear rapidly, usually after about five minutes, and the symptoms are much more severe.
“People get extremely nauseous. They vomit like mad. They become dizzy and their vision starts failing.”
- Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Griffon Poison Information Centre
Verdoorn says that pesticides and poisons can contaminate food if it is stored near opened food containers, which has been seen in informal shops.
The poison may be bumped and fall into opened food packets, making the whole bag inedible.
Unsuspecting people may eat it without being aware that it has been contaminated.
“They don’t know it contains poison. You make a porridge and that is the end of your life.”
- Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Griffon Poison Information Centre
“By the time the parents or family members realise a person is in a severe state of toxicosis, that person is on the way to expiring.”
- Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Griffon Poison Information Centre
He adds it is possible to save someone if they receive treatment very quickly.
However, he says many clinics, especially in poor areas, do not stock the remedies or are unfamiliar with poisoning.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.