Watermelon poisoning allegations: fact or fear?

north_east

A message has been circulating on social media claiming that several citizens in Uzbekistan have died after consuming melons and watermelon products. However, the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing and Public Health has stated that no such cases have been recorded in the country and that the claims are unfounded.

It was noted that gastrointestinal disorders related to the consumption of melon products may occur and are generally caused by several factors:

- the individual characteristics of the human body;
- the combined consumption of incompatible food items;
- the staleness of melon products (i.e., being left out too long after being cut);
- the presence of nitrates and nitrites exceeding permissible levels.

The Sanitary and Epidemiological Committee urged the public to observe the following guidelines when purchasing melon products:

- Buy melon products only from authorized locations (market stalls, designated trading areas, shopping centers);
- Ensure that the melon products have undergone laboratory testing before purchase.
- Remember that melon products sold along highways or in residential neighborhoods may not have been tested in laboratories.

It should be noted that earlier reports on social media alleged that the nitrate content in melon products grown in the Surkhandarya region exceeded the allowable limit and had caused poisoning among consumers. However, the regional administration clarified that the melons shown in the circulated video had no connection to products cultivated in the Surkhandarya region.