The recently implemented Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law specifically divides "viral hepatitis" in the Food Safety Law into "viral hepatitis A" and "viral hepatitis E". Does this mean that the government clearly does not prohibit hepatitis B virus carriers from directly importing food? The relevant person in charge of the Food Safety Comprehensive Coordination and Health Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of Health gave a positive answer when interviewed by reporters.
This answer has been waiting for 14 years. It is understood that1People's Republic of China (PRC) Food Hygiene Law promulgated and implemented in June, 1995 stipulates that anyone suffering from digestive tract infectious diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis, etc. (including pathogen carriers) shall not take part in the work of direct contact with imported food. In China, the main groups targeted by this regulation are chefs, catering service personnel, waiters and other catering practitioners. Since then, hepatitis B virus carriers are not allowed to engage in catering industry, which has become an unwritten rule that has been implemented in administrative examination and approval and law enforcement. China is a "big country with hepatitis B", and the employment opportunities of nearly 65,438+billion virus carriers are affected, and they are discriminated against in different degrees in society.
This is actually a misunderstanding. Relevant personnel of the CDC of the Ministry of Health told the reporter that hepatitis B is a disease spread by body fluids such as blood, not an infectious disease of digestive tract, which has long been recognized scientifically. It is understood that the World Health Organization clearly pointed out that hepatitis B virus is not transmitted through contaminated food or water, and the relevant laws of the United States, Japan and other countries have not restricted hepatitis B virus carriers from engaging in food and catering. China Center for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that the examination of hepatitis B virus surface antigen and other items is not mandatory in the physical examination of catering service employees. However, according to the statement of the Food Hygiene Law, many local authorities still refuse to apply for health certificates of food practitioners for hepatitis B virus carriers.
Such regulations have aroused strong dissatisfaction among hepatitis B virus carriers. In a lot of discussions on the Internet, some people even think that it is precisely because of the expression of the Food Hygiene Law and the restrictions on hepatitis B virus carriers in the food industry that people's understanding of the transmission route of hepatitis B is distorted, which leads the society, including some medical institutions or doctors, to think that hepatitis B is an infectious disease in the digestive tract.
On June 1 this year, many people rejoiced at the promulgation and implementation of the Food Safety Law, but hepatitis B virus carriers were very disappointed, because the law followed the expression of the Food Hygiene Law, that is, people suffering from digestive tract infectious diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever and viral hepatitis were not allowed to engage in direct food intake. Although the relevant person in charge of the Food Safety Coordination and Health Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of Health publicly stated that patients with hepatitis A and hepatitis E in viral hepatitis cannot engage in the production and operation of directly imported food, hepatitis B virus carriers do not affect the production and operation of food. However, people did not get a clear answer in the "Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law (Draft)" published for comments.
On July 24, the Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law was officially announced, which brought surprises to hepatitis B virus carriers. Article 23 of the "Regulations" stipulates that food producers and business operators who are exposed to direct food suffer from digestive tract infectious diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis A, viral hepatitis E and other diseases that hinder food safety, such as active tuberculosis, suppurative or exudative skin diseases, shall adjust them to other jobs that do not affect food safety. Celebration posts such as "the food and catering industry has finally opened its doors to10.2 billion hepatitis B virus carriers", "hepatitis B virus carriers can also get health certificates" and "effectively protect the equal employment rights of hepatitis B virus carriers" have appeared on the Internet. ...
Relevant personnel of the Policy and Regulation Department of the Ministry of Health said that all patients with diseases or virus carriers clearly listed in the Regulations on the Implementation of the Food Safety Law are not allowed to engage in the work of directly importing food, and those who are not listed are not within the scope of legal restrictions. The expression of the law uses "digestive tract infectious diseases" and "diseases that hinder food safety". These two words also leave room for amending the relevant clauses in the future, because with the deepening of people's understanding of diseases and the discovery of new diseases, the scope of restrictions may also be dynamically adjusted.
The relevant person in charge of the Food Safety Comprehensive Coordination and Health Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of Health said that the latest statements about diseases such as viral hepatitis have been demonstrated by relevant experts in disease control, laws and regulations. On the basis of the Food Safety Law, the "Regulations" added a sentence that "food producers and operators should adjust them to other jobs that do not affect food safety", further guaranteeing the equal employment rights of relevant workers.