The Ministry of Health warns that food poisonings pose a real threat to health in the warm period of the year, especially when the temperatures are higher than 25-30 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures favor the development of microorganisms in food products, especially those of animal origin that spoils quickly, such as meat and dairy products and fish. These microorganisms develop in food products that are kept and sold in insanitary and thermally inappropriate conditions on the street, at improvised markets and in other unauthorized places, IPN reports, quoting a communique of the public institution.

The analysis of morbidity from foodborne illnesses in Moldova revealed an increase in the number of such diseases - from 447.6 cases per 100,000 people in 2013 to 486.8 cases in 2014. In one case the person died. In 2014, the number of cases of salmonella rose 1.6 times, while of food poisonings with determined causes – by 20.3%.

The main cause of food poisonings the previous years was the consumption of infected animal products (eggs, poultry, pork and calf), including those purchased from infected markets and unauthorized places. The Ministry warns the population to obey the hygiene and safety rules, to wash the hands before and while processing the products, to disinfect all the areas and tools used to prepare the food every time these are used, to protect the kitchen from insects, parasites and animals, and to correctly keep the prepared and raw foodstuffs.

The food must not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours. In the fridge, the food products should also not be kept long. Choose fresh and healthy products and processed foodstuffs, like pasteurized milk, as these are safer.