Salami - Haiti Observer Blog

Concerns are mounting that salami imported from the Dominican Republic (DR) is tainted with unhealthy levels of fecal matter. Deputy Fritz Chery has urged Minister of Commerce and Minister of Health and Population to ban importation of salami from the Dominican Republic.

Chery became alarmed after reading in the DR Listin Diario the Dominican Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (DIPCR) discovered 51% of 258 salami samples revealed fecal coliform at unacceptable levels.

Chery's belief is that dangerously high levels of fecal matter risks developing cancer in consumers, who ingest the contaminated meat. From a lay-person's perspective, with no training in microbiology, it's not necessarily the fecal matter itself, which may cause cancer, but the occurrence of sodium nitrate, a known carcinogen. Very high levels of fecal particulate may turn into a deadly form of ecoli, an intestinal illness, but not lead to cancer.

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One's health depends on what one eats. That is why the Haitian government have been taking measures in ensuring that the food Haitians eat are not contaminated with any kind of harmful components and that food processing companies follow the rules and regulations on proper hygiene and cleanliness standards.

Health authorities in the Dominican Republic have discovered fecal coliform contamination in samples of salami produce. It caused quite a scandal which caused the Haitian government to ban its import of salami from its neighbor. The Dominican Republic's Public Health Minister Bautista Rojas has recently announced that the results and studies that will be conducted as soon as possible on the infected salami produce will be disclosed to the public. He assured that the analyses to be taken will be of global health standards. Rojas also mentioned that the government has assigned a committee to be in charge of ensuring each of the product's quality, as well as guaranteeing the ongoing support and assistance of the Pan American Health and Nutrition Institute.

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