AMMAN - A total of 59 people were taken to Al Hussein Hospital in Salt and the Ain Al Basha Healthcare Centre on Saturday after consuming shawerma from a restaurant in the Baqaa refugee camp.
Balqa Health Department Director Khalid Hiari said the authorities closed down the restaurant and took food samples for testing.
Lab tests are also being conducted on the patients, who suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting, with results expected in 48 hours, according to the official.
Hiari told Al Rai that most of the patients had been discharged from the hospital and the health centre.
Salmonella, which exists in mayonnaise and under-cooked chicken, could be the reason behind the food poisoning, according to the health official.
“We are still examining the best means of monitoring chicken before it is sold for public consumption,” Hiari said.
Since the beginning of this year, health authorities have closed seven shawerma restaurants in the capital which were found in violation of health regulations.
In May, the Jordan Food and Drug Administration set out new guidelines for the inspection of shawerma outlets, which include analysing the food sold at these premises and the conditions under which it is prepared and stored.
The new instructions addressed some of the key problem areas relating to the rise in the number of reported food poisoning incidents, and include issues of basic hygiene, storage and handling of foods.
Under the new regulations, shawerma shops are no longer allowed to use the locally made mayonnaise mixture, since most of the reported cases of food poisoning were related to this mixture, which, if not stored under correct conditions, acts as a breeding ground for Salmonella.
In April, 243 citizens in Madaba came down with food poisoning after consuming shawerma from a restaurant in the city.
Results of tests carried out on the patients revealed that the mayonnaise used in the shawerma contained Salmonella.
Most persons infected with the Salmonella bacteria develop diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after being infected. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhoea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalised.
