Hanoi: Vegetables are contaminated from fields to markets

Morning glory, coriander, basil . are potential vegetables with many bacteria that cause intestinal diseases. The Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology TU has announced the results of research on raw vegetables and aquatic vegetables in the waste water from the field to the market in Hanoi.

Many vegetables are heavily infected

TS.BS. Vuong Tuan Anh, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology TU said, the research team conducted surveys and research at two points in the peri-urban area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi in the rainy and dry seasons. The first point is Hoang Liet Ward (Hoang Mai District) where irrigation water is taken from To Lich and Kim Nguu rivers - the 2 biggest waste water rivers in the city through pumping stations and canals.

The second study site is Long Bien with the main source of irrigation water is the pond containing rainwater and Red River water or household well water. At each point, the research team randomly selected 6 participating households to grow vegetables with the main vegetable being spinach.

Artwork (Source: Internet).

Dr. Vuong Tuan Anh said: ' Each of our households took 6 samples. Usually in the morning, households in Hoang Liet harvest spinach and wash vegetables at irrigation canals to keep vegetables moist. After that, water spinach is bought and shipped by wholesalers to inner city markets.

In Long Bien, farmers harvest vegetables in the afternoon and wash vegetables with household well water to keep them moist afterwards, leaving them overnight until the next morning to bring them to the market ' .

At the same time, another independent study was also conducted at Hoang Liet market (near the vegetable growing area with waste water) and Hang Be market (concentrating vegetables from many different production areas). The main vegetables are basil, coriander, marjoram, spinach, vegetables.

A total of 96 vegetable samples were taken from Hoang Liet and 118 samples from Long Bien. After that, these samples were taken for testing at the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology . The results showed that the vegetables collected at the market contained a lot of coliform bacteria and bacteria causing intestinal diseases. In particular, these bacteria are most abundant in vegetables such as water spinach, basil, marjoram, vegetables .

Vegetables are contaminated from fields to markets

Many types of vegetables are contaminated from fields to markets (Artwork).

Dr. Vuong Tuan Anh, leader of the research team said: 'The results show that vegetables in the suburbs of Hanoi are infected with coliform and intestinal protozoa from the field to the market and at the market. Raw vegetables or unprocessed vegetables can all cause disease . '

Mr. Tuan Anh also said that irrigation or freshening vegetables with contaminated water is the main way that vegetables are contaminated with microorganisms transmitted through food.Coliform content in watering vegetables in waste water fields in the peri-urban areas of Hanoi is often higher than in fields without wastewater and exceeding the World Health Organization's limits for irrigation water. This suggests that the irrigation method plays a very important role in spreading pathogenic microorganisms.

Meanwhile, most sellers do not have the habit of wearing gloves when shipping and selling green vegetables. After harvesting, they still use water from contaminated ponds and lakes to sprinkle on vegetables during storage at home or put vegetables on the ground overnight, making vegetables more susceptible to infection with many types of microorganisms. The risk of cross-contamination with other foods may also occur due to the general market.

' Hygienic principles (such as gloves, hygiene in packaging, preservation and irrigation of clean water…) relate to the supply chain of food that needs to be applied from the place of production (in the field) to the consumption place. (at the market). Thus, it is possible to limit foodborne diseases ', Tuan Anh stressed.