Following reports that six children died from consuming snacks allegedly bought from a nearby spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto, early this month due to organophosphate poisoning, a food scientist has urged the government to take action against rising food poisoning rates.
Livhuwani Tshitangano spoke to The Star on Monday, calling for the Department of Health to prioritise employing food scientists to enhance food safety.
“Please advise Dr Motsoaledi to hire food scientists for these roles. The country has excess qualified and experienced Food Scientists and Technologists who can add great value to this country’s food safety agenda. Most of them are in factories, and we already know the gap. It will be easy to deal with current affairs,” Tshitangano said.
This plea came after Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi addressed the media about findings from a toxicology study that revealed a pesticide was found in the bodies of the six children.
During a joint media briefing attended by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Motsoaledi explained that various chemicals had been considered as possible causes of death, with organophosphates being identified as particularly lethal.
“In order to avoid confusion, I wish to mention each one of them and explain its significance. But before doing that, I need to explain that apart from organophosphate, another group of chemicals used as pesticides is called carbamates. There is a slight difference between carbamates and organophosphates. One major difference is that organophosphate is much more lethal and can cause irreversible damage,” he added.
Lesego Letsatsi, a youth leader in Naledi, stated that the community plans to hold a meeting to discuss the revelations made by the minister.
“We are in touch with the families and are planning to conduct a community meeting to discuss this issue. It is concerning that a chemical was found to have killed the six children,” he said.
Tebo Sathekge, the older nephew of one of the deceased, expressed his grief, stating, “It is disturbing what has happened. This is something that could have been avoided had authorities ensured that laws are respected in this country.”
Motsoaledi elaborated that organophosphates are commonly used in agriculture as pesticides and can cause irreversible damage. The toxicologists’ extensive efforts over recent weeks confirmed that Terbufos was the agent responsible for the tragedy.
Compounding this tragedy, Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, revealed that four individuals arrested in connection with the distribution of the dangerous chemical were released on a warning after paying R2,000 admission of guilt, largely because they were not the manufacturers of the chemicals involved.
“We were in Naledi and the chemicals were found. Then we were led to a mall in Johannesburg where we located and arrested four individuals,” he explained.
Mthombeni stated that amidst public outcry regarding the alleged negligence leading to the children’s deaths, these individuals face charges related to the sale of unregistered agricultural remedies, including fertilisers and farm feed.
This decision has sparked further outrage among the community and families affected by this devastating loss.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand highlighted critical concerns regarding the availability of antidotes for organophosphate poisoning.
Findings revealed that while commonly used antidotes for drug poisonings are present in emergency settings, concerns persist over the reliability of their supply, warranting further investigation.
SIDEBAR
Organophosphates, as defined by health experts, are a prevalent class of insecticides that pose a significant risk to human health, particularly in developing areas where safe handling practices are not upheld. These colourless-to-brown liquids can cause severe poisoning symptoms when exposure is high or prolonged. Alarmingly, reports have shown that over 25 million agricultural workers worldwide experience at least one poisoning episode each year, underlining the dire need for stringent safety measures in using such chemicals.
The Star