Food safety concerns rise in Uzbekistan with 14 poisoning incidents over five months

Reportedly, ten of these incidents involved botulism caused by the consumption of home-prepared canned goods, with eight of the affected being children. Three cases involved foodborne toxic infections, impacting 13 individuals, including eight children. One case of chemical poisoning was also reported.

In 2024, the regional and district branches of the Sanitary-Epidemiological Committee conducted inspections at 1,512 out of 20,184 public catering establishments (7.49%). Violations of sanitary norms, rules, and hygiene standards were identified in 664 establishments (3.29%).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 600 million people are affected each year by consuming unsafe food products. Approximately 420,000 deaths occur annually due to food contaminated with microorganisms or chemicals, with 125,000 of these being children under five years old.

Food safety is critical at every stage, from production to harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, preparation, and consumption. The risk of food contamination or spoilage exists at every point in the supply chain, and all participants, including entrepreneurs, bear responsibility for ensuring food safety.