SERHA warns of Salmonella Poisoning in Eggs as Egg and Meat Shortage loom

Jamaica is not only experiencing a health crisis, with a perceived increase in diseases associated with a lack of sanitation as noted in my blog article entitled “18 Jamaican babies die from Klebsiella and Serratia - How lack of Water caused UHWI and Cornwall Hospital Babies Deaths” but also a coming crisis in food supplies for the festive season.

All this during October, which is Egg Month and Thursday October 8^th 2015, which was World Egg Day, in case you never knew dear reader as reported in the article “Celebrate Egg Month The Eggcelent Way”, Published Thursday October 8, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So you might wanna hold off on making that Eggs Benedict recipe as detailed in the article “I Am Not A Chef: Fancy Eggs Benedict”, published Thursday October 22, 2015 by Krysta Anderson, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

There is now such a shortage of Eggs that SERHA (South East Regional Health Authority) has reported that Eggs dumped in the Riverton City Dump are being sold to the Jamaican public by unscrupulous persons as reported in the article “Alert! Eggs Disposed At Riverton Dump Could Be On The Market”, Published Monday September 28, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

In a release on Monday September 28^th, 2015, SERHA had warned the public to purchase Eggs only from reputable sources. The Eggs had been disposed of over the weekend of Saturday September 26^th 2015 and had been recovered by people who gained access to the Riverton City Dump.

SERHA and the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) aka the Jamaican Police are working hand in hand to destroy the Eggs and other Chicken related products as reported in the article “Eggs being scavenged from Riverton dump – SERHA”, published Monday, September 28, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

But who is behind this?

Downtown Kingston Vendors Cashing in on Riverton City Dump - Lax security allows Eggs and Chicken Meat to be resold

It may be people with access to the Riverton City Landfill and connections to vendors in Downtown Kingston.

These unscrupulous collaborators are now taking those Eggs and reselling them to the public, most likely in Downtown Kingston, my favourite place to shop as noted in my blog article entitled “KSAC and NWC and the Raw Sewage problem in Downtown Kingston – How to restore order by making Downtown safe for Vendors and Shoppers”.

They have also been stealing Meat dumped in the Riverton city Landfill and resoling it in Downtown Kingston since March 2015 as well as noted in the article “Meat Dumped At Riverton On Sale Downtown”, Published Sunday March 29, 2015 by Ryon Jones, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Strangely enough, the KSAC (Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation) is yet to take action against these vendors in Downtown Kingston since April 2015.

This as they've yet to receive support from the Kingston and St Andrew Public Health Department as noted in the article “Meat Madness - Authorities Yet To Move Against Downtown Kingston Vendors Selling Rotten Meat Dumped At Riverton City”, Published Sunday April 5, 2015 by Ryon Jones, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

The fact that we're STILL having this problem with Eggs, another Chicken product being scavenged from the Riverton City Dump and sold in Downtown Kingston indicates that the problem is yet to be addressed by the KSAC and the Kingston and St Andrew Public Health Department.

These Eggs are dangerous, as you can get food poisoning from Salmonella bacteria.  

The infected develope the following symptoms within 12 to 72 hours after infection:

1.      Diarrhoea

2.      Fever

3.      Abdominal cramps

Infection from Salmonella bacteria, called Salmonella Poisoning, is especially dangerous to children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems, as if it get into their blood stream, it can cause death!

The 1998 Public Health (Food Handling) Regulation states that Eggs, requires refrigerated storage at temperatures of 4.4 degrees Celsius to ensure product safety. Vacuum sealing Eggs in plastic bags or coating them with Wax and storing them in a moisture-free environment can extend their lives considerably as noted in my blog article entitled “Preserving Food at MICO - How to make Vegetables, Eggs and Shordy Bread last forever”.  

 Although many Jamaicans have a sufficiently strong enough an immune system to weather the pain of a Salmonella bacteria infection, which can last for four (4) to seven (7) days, after vomiting and sweating during that period of time, you may become dehydrated as noted in my blog article entitled “How to find work in Jamaica at Call Centers - Drink Bottled Water as Dehydration and Salty Foods makes you lose concentration”. 

Given the current water shortage in Jamaica, more specifically in Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine as noted in my blog article entitled “Water Shortage at MICO - How I'm dealing with the Water Shortage in Kingston”  a visit to the hospital may be likely.

So what's causing Jamaican to get so desperate as to sell Eggs that have been thrown away?

SERHA warns of Salmonella laced Eggs in Downtown Kingston - Why Gastroenteritis and Salmonella Poisoning on the Rise

Apparently, these Eggs are imported from the USA and Canada but banned by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health for consumption in Jamaica. This is due to an outbreak of Avian Flu aka H5N2 as reported in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Agriculture bans US, Canadian Chicken Products - Why H5N2 Avian Flu is Shadows of 2014 Chicken Shortage during Easter 2015”.

Add to that the continuing Egg Shortage since December 2014, which has continue on through most of 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled  “Egg Shortage in Jamaica set to continue to March 2014 - Poor Agricultural Planning to blame as Cheap Meat shortages forcing many to become Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians”.

Throw on that bonfire a similar but unrelated shortage in Pork since April 2015, with some Pig interests calling for an importation of Pork to alleviate the shortage as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaican now experiencing Pork Shortage – How Ready to Eat Pork causes Jamaicans to Love Pork as Processors want imports”.

Egg Farmers aren't producing enough Eggs to satisfy local demand since 2014 due to more Jamaicans using Eggs as a meat substitute for Chicken Back, which is also in short supply since September 2013 as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaicans now Eating Sly Mongoose as Chicken Back shortage Gets closer to Christmas - Family and Community Gardens needed to Grow what we Eat and reduce Food Import Bill”.

Combined with the ban on imported Chicken meat and components, including Eggs, the prices have gone up considerably, causing opportunists from Downtown Kingston to take advantage of lax access to the Riverton City dump to repurpose imported US Chicken meat, components and Eggs and resell them, with dire consequences.

How to spot Bad Eggs - Just don't buy meat and Eggs Downtown until the KSAC fixes the problem

Yes, the title says it all; don't buy Chicken and meat from untrusted sources as SERHA advises, especially from Downtown Kingston. I personally don't have a problem here, as I don't eat meat, so Hi-Lo Supermarket in Cross Roads is where you'll find me shopping for perishables.

Still, if you’re the adventurous type, then use this handy guide to spot Eggs that aren't fit for consumption.

 

If your Eggs are good, you can make them along with other perishable foods last longer as explained in my blog article entitled “Preserving Food at MICO - How to make Vegetables, Eggs and Shordy Bread last forever”.  

Christmas 2015 may be nice, but you may also be spending a lot of your time face down in the toilet, dehydrated, if you buy and eat Salmonella bacteria laced Eggs, Meat and possibly Milk from Downtown Kingston.