As winter begins, the number of food poisoning incidents is on the rise. Of all toxic substance samples sent to hospitals for examination, 40% are from food poisoning. The majority of victims are women and children, primarily because pesticides on fruits and vegetables were not thoroughly washed off.
Therefore, food hygiene experts recommend that it is best to buy vegetables from supermarkets. If purchasing from street vendors, be sure to wash and soak them thoroughly at home to achieve the purpose of detoxification.
Food hygiene experts have analyzed that during winter, the cold weather prevents plants from fully absorbing pesticides through photosynthesis. Most plants grown in greenhouses require larger amounts of pesticides, leading to higher pesticide residues. As women and children are the primary consumers of fruits and vegetables, the effects of poisoning from these foods are particularly pronounced in them. Due to high pesticide residues in some vegetables, combined with inadequate cleaning by consumers, food poisoning can easily occur.
The incubation period for pesticide poisoning is mostly within half an hour, ranging from as short as 10 minutes to up to 2 hours. Main symptoms include: dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, numbness and weakness in the limbs, and blurred vision. In more severe cases, symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscle twitching, sweating, mental confusion, speech difficulties, and pupil constriction. In the most severe cases, patients may experience coma, convulsions, incontinence, pupils constricted to the size of a pinhead, elevated body temperature, and respiratory paralysis.
Experts suggest that when eating vegetables, it is best to wash and soak them thoroughly in water. When eating fruits, it is advisable to peel them whenever possible. For fruits that are difficult to peel, such as grapes, soak them for half an hour before consumption.
If food poisoning symptoms appear, immediate self-rescue is necessary. In severe cases, seek emergency medical treatment at a hospital. For pesticide poisoning patients who cannot reach a hospital within two hours, they can drink large amounts of water and induce vomiting by stimulating the throat with a finger to expel the toxic food, and then proceed to the hospital immediately.