Dear Editor,
On Monday February 27, 2017, about 11 children from the Uitvlugt Secondary School were rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital throughout the day after the children started experiencing bouts of vomiting. Upon investigation, one vendor was fingered because the children purchased edibles from her. Tests were supposedly conducted on the various items she had for sale and her house was inspected to see the conditions of the place where she prepared her items for sale at the school. According to the tests, the cause of the children’s vomiting was narrowed down to the sour that she had for the various types of chips and she was barred from selling at the school until further notice. Those in authority are supposed to carry out random checks at the place of sale and where the food is made, because over the years many children from various schools have had similar experiences. Guyana has many people who are being paid to do a particular job, and only when a disaster strikes do they act.
Editor, in previous letters I have penned, I’ve stated that many vendors are not aware of the ingredients in some of the items they are selling (for example meat extract in Jello, amongst others) or are aware of the expiry dates. Some don’t even give consideration to what they make. Whilst the vendors’ main object is to get a profit, some try to get more profit by getting their items at a cheaper cost. As such, they do not pay attention to whom they buy from.
Many people spray some sort of chemicals on their plant to keep pests away, and if someone steals the fruits, they wouldn’t know or care if they are sprayed, and whosoever purchases them would be ignorant of the fact that they are buying dangerous items to give to others. I’ve seen vendors boiling sour in aluminum pots and when they are finished, they leave the sour in the pots (sometimes open) for an extended period, just reheating and taking out the daily amount they need. I’ve heard that leaving acid food in aluminium pots for long is not safe. It’s quite safe to use aluminium pots, but if you leave acid food in them for a long time, it might not be.
Adults might look at someone’s appearance or the environment before purchasing something to eat, but schoolchildren are not cautious, and as a parent, I try and advise my children but I cannot deter them from buying what they want. Vendors should give consideration to the health of people’s children, and they should be monitored more closely.
Yours faithfully,
Sahadeo Bates
