Researchers have assessed the factors impacting food safety in items that were provided to victims of an earthquake in Turkey.

The study examined the food safety and security of emergency food distributed to survivors by 40 organizations located in provinces heavily affected by the earthquake. It was conducted in Kahramanmara? and Hatay in February 2023. Data were collected face-to-face using a form developed by scientists and were recently released. 

Researchers said the risk levels of organizations regarding food safety and reliability were relatively high. Organizations had a 41.6 percent risk concerning food safety and security. Groups that did not control the foods were associated with an increased total score, according to the study published in the journal Food Security.

In February 2023, two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in Turkey, with epicenters in Pazarc?k and Elbistan (Kahramanmara?), affecting 11 surrounding cities. More than 2.5 million people were impacted and 50,000 died.

From storage to hygiene
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent (KIZILAY) are state organizations that provide food aid. A total of 334 mobile kitchens, 86 catering vehicles, 33 mobile bakeries, and 252 service vehicles were sent to the area. Approximately 9 million hot foods, 2 million soups, 7.6 million packs of drinking water, 9 million bread rolls, 6.6 million treats, and 750,000 beverages were distributed in the disaster area.

Data gathered included organization type, number of meals, size of the population served, presence of a food engineer and/or dietitian, distance between organization and tent city, and whether the food provided was controlled or not. It was also asked whether the expiry date of packaged foods, visible deterioration in foods requiring cold chain, and packaging integrity in packed foods were checked during the control of provided foods.

The form created by researchers consisted of 56 items and had a 5-point scale, ranging from 0 no risk to 4 very risky. It included food storage practices, distribution conditions, personnel hygiene, environmental conditions, and food security.

Scientists found 75 percent of groups served three to five meals daily, 37.5 percent served 2,000 to 3,999 people daily, and 12.5 percent employed a food engineer and/or dietitian. Overall, 47.5 percent of the organizations checked the food provided. The risk level of food storage conditions decreased in organizations employing food engineers and/or dietitians.

Allergens and special requirements
The fact that organizations did not provide appropriate foods for situations that required a special diet, did not provide allergen information to earthquake victims, and did not take samples from the meals constituted the highest risks. 

Scientists said disaster preparedness plans must be made seriously and staff need to be trained and equipped.

“Inadequate information and lack of control even in public institutions increase food safety risks. To maintain food safety standards, specific application guides regarding these processes should be effectively applied and public authorities should increase inspections by introducing stricter regulations.

“To increase food safety and security and the quality of the service provided during disaster periods, it is important to ensure controls, monitoring, and audits by people authorized by public authorities, to increase the frequency of audits, and to impose sanctions when necessary, to minimize possible risks. Foods that meet the needs of disaster victims who have special dietary requirements must be systematically included in disaster relief packages.”