01 Nov 2024 Organophosphate identified as the cause of deaths of six Soweto children

Earlier this month, the deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto, due to suspected food poisoning hit the headlines, and local authorities scrambled to investigate the cause of the deaths.…

Following the results of the toxicology report, the Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that an organophosphate is the cause of their deaths.

What food was contaminated, and how it got into the food, remains unknown – but one thing is certain, there needs to be stricter management of basic food safety management in the informal food space, and much more education for both the consumer, and the spaza owners.

The children were said to have consumed snacks from a local spaza shop, and the initial cause of death was thought to be related to chemical poisoning from a substance called Carbamate, however results were pending a full toxicology report.

Providing an update on the investigation into the deaths of the six children at a media briefing on Monday (28 October), Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed that an organophosphate was found to be the cause of death of the children.

“As you know, organophosphate is not one substance but a group of substances, which are usually used in agriculture or as pesticides. The organophosphate identified in this instance is called Terbufos.” he said.

Terbufos is a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide mainly used in agriculture to control pests. Classified as extremely hazardous, it disrupts the nervous system which can cause severe symptoms or death upon exposure. In cases of food contamination, even trace amounts can result in fatal poisoning. Due to its toxicity, Terbufos requires strict handling and is not intended for public use or sale.

Motsoaledi said as part of the investigation, a group 80 environmental health practitioners, or health inspectors, were dispersed. They were joined by officials from other government departments whose line of work is relevant to the food-borne problem in Naledi.

“As said before they visited 84 spaza shops in search of the evidence of a chemical which we believed was responsible for the illnesses and fatalities that befell our nation, especially in Naledi, Soweto.

“That work was concluded on Thursday, with mop-up operations done on Friday. This operation was done under the supervision and instruction of experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).

“This team was given all the information, including the medical files of the deceased children, and more importantly the post-mortem results. They used the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) medical certification form recommended by the World Health Assembly (WHA) to do their analysis,” the Minister explained….

FoodFocus.co.za: Read the full article here