Low-quality food rations pose health risks, Iraq officials concede

[Barrett808]

B AGHDAD, 11 July (IRIN) - Following complaints over the quality of state-distributed food rations, the Ministry of Trade plans to boost quality controls and acquire food items from alternate sources, say officials.

"Since the fall of the former regime, monthly food rations have worsened in terms of quality," said senior ministry official Ahmed Abdul-Lattif. "But from now on, we'll be very serious and only accept products that have passed quality controls in our laboratories." In recent efforts to raise quality, some 500,000 tons of food have been rejected, destroyed or returned to suppliers since January due to low quality or because of exceeded expiration dates.

The decision to boost the quality of state food rations was taken after doctors in several local hospitals reported numerous cases of food poisoning and malnutrition. A subsequent investigation found that cases were largely the result of spoiled or inadequate rations. "We're keeping our eyes on the possibility of new cases," said Abdul-Lattif. "But starting this month, any food product entering Iraq will have to pass a rigid quality control test. Imported products must come with complete documentation of their content and quality."

According to Dr Khalil Mehdi, a spokesman for the health ministry's Nutritional Research Institute, tainted or inadequate food rations can cause malnutrition, particularly in children. Many of the rationed food items, meanwhile, such as beans and biscuits, lack the vitamins and essential proteins essential for children's growth. "Some families depend entirely on food rations to survive," said Mehdi. "If these aren't nutritious, they'll suffer from malnutrition and other diseases."

(more)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/de9a56f121a0c3a1e6000c789b0266dd.htm

[bullimiami]

1. smells like government contracts again.

[zreosumgame]

2. Haliburton to the 'rescue'

with their GI quality semi-food, old, rotten and sparse. Too bad the French company that was providing decent plentiful food was, well, French. SO of course they had to go...

[Kutjara]

3. It's environmentally friendly practice.

Instead of dumping all the spoiled food and expired medication into landfills where it will generate greenhouse gases and toxins, or incinerating it add adding to atmospheric CO2, these responsible companies are getting rid of their garbage in the most environmentally-sound way possible: by feeding it to Iraqis. After all, most of the consumers will be dead from internecine violence long before the ill effects of the food and medicine become apparent.

Everyone's a winner. Mission accomplished!

[robinlynne]

4. It must be fun trying to keep food good in 120 degree heat without

any electricity, as well......