Objective: This study aimed to describe the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in controlling foodborne illnesses during the Hajj season (2013-2017).
Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted by reviewing two sources of information. The first source was data describing the numbers, the source of incidences and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, and the type of pathogens that cause these illnesses obtained from the Ministry of Health. The second source was the literature regarding this topic.
Results: About half of the outbreaks (10 outbreaks) were reported in 2017 alone. The most common source of foodborne illness during this Hajj season was food contractors who provided food to the Hajj campaigns (45%). The common risk factor associated with foodborne outbreaks was poor storage of dietary materials (40%). According to the relation between temperatures and foodborne outbreaks, there was a temporal increase in average maximum temperatures during the Hajj season from 2013 to 2017. All foodborne outbreaks originated from a bacterial source.
Conclusion: The food safety control system during Hajj was just a result of the huge efforts of the Kingdom divided into multisector through the years. Despite these efforts, there are still some challenges and opportunities for improvement.
Key words: CControlling, foodborne illnesses, Saudi Arabia, Hajj seasons
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