Ramadan: 'Tis the season for food contamination

Last week my daughter spent a full day impersonating Linda Blair from The Exorcist. She vomited every other minute, all around the house. My son did the same, except his was from the other end – diarrhoea.

And like a domino effect, my husband got it too. They all had food poisoning or the stomach flu from eating nasi lemak bought from the pasar Ramadan for dinner.

I am proud to say that I survived this round of painful and excruciating cramps and nausea because unlike my husband, I know that pasar Ramadan food or food from the pasar malam and I, just don't get along.

No matter how careful I am with picking what to eat from the pasar Ramadhan, I always end up spending hours with my head over the toilet bowl. All that glitters at the pasar Ramadan is not gold.

So, I have quit buying food from the pasar Ramadhan but I do play food inspector when my husband and my kids go to one.

Like most outbreaks, food contamination does not discriminate. It is not just from the pasar Ramadhan, it could come from any restaurant or stall.

Last week 36 people were reported to have suffered from food poisoning after consuming Roti John from a pasar Ramadan. And this sort of news is not new.

Every year we hear and read news about food poisoning and the most disheartening is when it involves death, especially of young innocent children, just because of the wrong choice made when choosing food.

So, what are we really doing to curb this? Yes, the authorities do make their rounds and conduct checks for contamination or whether food is prepared in the most hygienic manner. But is this enough to educate food sellers who are more interested in making a quick buck?

I am not sure what happens to food sellers who are found guilty of causing food poisoning. Is there a fine imposed or even a short jail term?

The one thing I am sure of is that prevention is definitely better than cure. One must always, always, be careful when choosing what to consume. Always look out for signs and always ask whenever in doubt.

And hopefully this food poisoning, stomach flu or bug or whatever you call it won’t find you. Be prepared if it does, and keep working on the fluids. Drinking water is still the single best thing you can do for yourself!

And again, the choice is yours.