Ministry Of Health Records 4,792 Cases Of Food Poisoning In The Last 10 Months

Residents experience symptoms of health poisoning waiting for the results of the examination at the Padasuka Health Center, Cimahi City, West Java, Monday, July 24, 2023. (ANTARA-Ricky P)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) said there were 4,792 cases of food poisoning until October 16, 2023. Of that number, the extraordinary number of cases of food poisoning (KLB KP) was 96 cases.

Head of the Food Restructuring Working Team of the Ministry of Health's Environmental Restructuring Directorate, Cucu Cakrawati Kosim, said that the number increased by more than 1,000 cases compared to 2022 which only had 3,514 cases.

"When compared to 2022, it has exceeded a year ago, but now it's only until October, the number of cases has exceeded in 2022," he said at the Food Laboratory Network Socialization event which was broadcast online in Jakarta, Tuesday, October 24, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said the highest case of food poisoning in West Java Province with a total of 1,679 cases, followed by Central Java with 1,082 cases, and East Java with 701 cases.

For KLB KP, the highest is in the Special Region (DI) of Yogyakarta and West Java, which both have 19 extraordinary cases.

Cases of poisoning due to food have claimed the lives of 15 people or based on the statistics of the fatality rate, which is 0.31 percent.

He said the main source causing mass poisoning was household food which contributed to a total of 53 percent of extraordinary cases.

He explained the reason why household cooking was the cause of poisoning was due to a lack of sanitation attention while cooking at community events.

"Masakan rumah tangga menjadi sumber KLB KP yang relatif besar, seperti diketahui sifat gotong royong di Indonesia ini cukup tinggi, ketika ada saudara kegiatan, maka mereka dengan sukan royong untuk ikut membak. Nah ini menjadi salah satu sumber KLB KP ini banyak di masyarakat," katanya.