By Hanin al-Sayed – Khalaf Maou
On August 7, 2024, a woman and her ten-year-old child died, and her daughter was transferred to an al-Hasakah hospital for treatment, after they consumed expired cappuccino in Dhiban town, east of Deir Ezzor, which is controlled by the Autonomous Administration.
This incident highlights an aspect of the food control crisis in northern Syria, where spoiled food threatens the lives of residents, amid an obvious lack of adequate oversight of crossings and markets. As the Syrian war entered its second decade, state structures disintegrated, authorities multiplied, and all resources were directed to serve military operations, which led to the weakening of food control, allowing the spread of expired materials, so that food poisoning became a daily threat to residents, in light of the varying standards and multiple authorities controlling the region.
This investigation, which was conducted before the fall of the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad sheds light on the political, economic, and commercial factors that contributed to the exacerbation of this problem and reviews the reasons behind the weakness of food control, in addition to possible solutions to protect the health of consumers in these areas.
The economic situation and its impact on food security
Before the outbreak of the war, Syria relied on agriculture as a major source of food security, but wheat production has declined to a quarter of its levels, as Syria’s grain production has declined from an annual average of 4.1 million tons before the crisis, which was enough to meet local demand, to an estimated 1.05 million tons in 2021, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which has led to increased reliance on imports, amid fuel and water shortages, which has exacerbated the country’s food security crisis due to increased reliance on imports and decreased local production as a result of the ongoing war. Syria imported about 2.7 million tons of grain, most of which was wheat due to the severe damage to local production, which was below average before the war. In 2023, the country went through significant inflation that led to a deterioration in the purchasing power of the population, as the consumer price index reached 400 compared to 185 in 2022. The decline in food security has led to the spread of expired materials due to weak oversight and the absence of suitable alternatives.
The economic deterioration did not stop at inflation only but led to an increase in the poverty rate to reach more than a quarter of the population in extreme poverty living below the poverty line according to a report issued by the World Bank in 2024. A large number of the population in northwestern Syria also depend on humanitarian aid to meet their daily needs, which decreased by 91% in Syria during 2024 according to the coordinators of the Syrian response.
Border crossings are the primary means of entering food supplies into northern Syria, such as Bab al-Hawa crossing, which is mainly used to import Turkish products. In contrast, internal crossings between different areas of control suffer from chaos and corruption, which facilitates the smuggling of spoiled or expired materials into the markets, as imported food supplies are often close to their expiration date or are poorly stored. Turkey is one of Syria’s most important trading partners, as Syria imports most of its food and consumer goods from Turkey, with total imports exceeding $2.14 billion in 2022. Syria also imports food products and consumer goods from other countries such as the UAE and China.
Monitoring crossings and markets
In the absence of unified laws for food control in northern Syria, there are clear differences in legal systems depending on the multiplicity of controlling forces and the diversity of political orientations. In northwestern Syria, large parts of the Aleppo countryside and Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain areas in ar-Raqqa and al-Hasakah governorates are under the control of the National Army supported by Turkey, while Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which was led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as (Abu Muhammad al-Julani) before he assumed power in the country following a military operation between November 27 and the fall of the regime on December 8, 2024, controlled Idlib city and parts of its countryside and countryside of Latakia and Aleppo during conducting this investigation. This multiplicity of actors led to the diversity of the legal systems applied, according to lawyer Waad al-Qadi, who resides in Turkey. Returning to the methods of importing food, Bab al-Hawa crossing north of Idlib is the main and most active crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border, through which most of the humanitarian aid, food supplies and commercial goods enter the northwestern regions of Syria. It is mainly used to import Turkish products and food supplies that are distributed in local markets and camps. It is followed by Bab as-Salam crossing located in the northern countryside of Aleppo and managed by the National Army, through which commercial goods and humanitarian aid coming from Turkey are brought into the areas of Azaz, Jarabulus and others. Meanwhile, ar-Rai crossing is located north of al-Bab city and is also managed by the National Army and is used to import goods and food supplies from Turkey and serves a wide area extending to the eastern and northern countryside of Aleppo. It is also a secondary crossing compared to Bab al-Hawa and Bab as-Salam crossings, but it is important for supplying the surrounding areas with goods. The same applies to the Jarablus crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border, which is mainly used to import Turkish goods, including food supplies, to the areas surrounding Jarablus city in Aleppo countryside.
As for the internal crossings between the areas controlled by the Opposition and the areas controlled by the former regime, there is al-Hamran crossing, which is used in smuggling operations, including food supplies, and goods of Iranian or Syrian origin were often imported to the Opposition areas through this crossing, in addition to Abu az-Zandin crossing, which connected the areas controlled by the former regime and the areas controlled by the National Army in the eastern countryside of Aleppo and is used primarily to import food supplies and goods of Iranian origin. As for the areas of northeastern Syria that are administered by the Autonomous Administration, which is the political umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), there are several border crossings that connect them with Turkey, but all of them have been closed since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011. As for Iraq, there is only one outlet that connects northeastern Syria with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, starting from the border triangle between Iraq, Syria and Turkey, extending for 150 kilometers, through crossings and entry points: Rabi’a-al-Yarubiyah, Semalka-Fishkhabur, and al-Walid. In January 2020, the Security Council canceled the mandate granted to the United Nations to use al-Yarubiyah border crossing between Iraq and northeastern Syria. As for the Semalka crossing, which was established in 2012, its opening and closing remain subject to political tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and the Autonomous Administration. Most of the commercial goods and commodities are imported through this crossing to the areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The import includes food, medical products, and basic tools used in daily life. It is considered a vital crossing for transporting commercial goods to the areas of Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa. It is sometimes replaced by the Al-Waleed crossing located in Hasakah Governorate on the border with Iraq, which is used to import food, fuel, and consumer goods.
Internally, at-Tayha crossing in Manbij of Aleppo countryside separates the areas controlled by SDF and the National Army. Al-Tabqa crossing also separates the areas of the Syrian interior from SDF areas in ar-Raqqa Governorate and is used to transport goods between the two areas, as the Autonomous Administration areas import many food products and goods of Syrian and Iranian origin through this crossing.
Children Facing Food Poisoning
On August 22, 2024, a family of eight in al-Hasakah city, northeastern Syria, suffered from food poisoning after eating an expired Indomie meal from a stall in the city’s market. Although the family withheld details of the incident “for social reasons,” a medical source from al-Hikma Hospital in al-Hasakah, which received the family, confirmed that they all suffered from acute intestinal infections, diarrhea, and vomiting. Among the cases was the three-year-old girl, Shumukh Amer Al-Bo Salama, who was transferred to the intensive care unit after her health deteriorated before she recovered.
These cases and others are due to reasons related to the weak effective control over the crossings in northern Syria, and the weak supply control inside the country, which allows the spread and entry of large quantities of expired or near-expiry food into local markets, in addition to the corruption of merchants and some local officials, which facilitates the smuggling of illegal goods, including spoiled food, which poses a major health risk to the population.
According to this report’s investigators after interviews with four grocery store owners in al-Qamishli area in northeastern Syria, four others in northern Idlib, and two in Afrin city in northern Aleppo, in addition to our online research on Facebook, the most widely used site in the region, we found that expired food is widely available without any fear of possible penalties.
Poverty drives people to spoiled food
Many merchants have resorted to reselling these items at low prices, exploiting the poverty and people’s dire need for food. The problem becomes more complicated in displacement camps, or areas remote from the weak food control by the authorities governing the various regions. Residents of these areas are often exposed to eating food that is unfit for human consumption due to poor storage or expiration.
One of the women in Emerald Dream group, which includes approximately 46 thousand women from the northern regions of Syria, posted images of food that showed insects floating on the surface of the food while it was being cooked. The comments showed that many similar cases occurred, as some women found the same insect and others found worms. Some women attributed the cause to poor storage in the shops. Which causes a case of food poisoning, especially among children and the elderly, as the Syrian Response Coordinators expressed their deep concern earlier in 2022 on their Facebook page due to the increase in cases of food poisoning in the camps in northwestern Syria, as a result of the meals provided to them and their improper storage, as the number of cases of food poisoning in less than 48 hours reached more than one hundred and fifty cases of food poisoning, by the end of April 2022.
While the Syrian Civil Defense announced on its official Facebook page cases of food poisoning repeatedly, the last of which was on August 4, 2024, for two girls from the same family from Azmarin town, west of Idlib, after they were exposed to a case of food poisoning, according to medical reports.
In an exclusive interview with pharmacist Malek Al-Tawil, who works in his private pharmacy in Deir Hassan area in the camps in northern Idlib, he confirmed the existence of hundreds of cases of food poisoning recently.
Dozens of posts are circulating on social media pages of the supply agencies in the various areas of control, showing large and varied quantities of expired food.
Insufficient efforts to control spoiled food
The head of the Consumer Protection Directorate affiliated with the interim government, Fadel Kano, confirmed to us in an exclusive phone interview that the spread of expired food increases in the first and fifth months of the year, according to the expiration date when entering through the crossings, in addition to the seventh, eighth and ninth months of the year, which are periods of intense heat when food spoils due to poor storage and display in front of shops, and that most of the materials that are confiscated are children’s food and milk. He also points out the need for employees to receive training that helps in completing the process of detecting these materials in the market, noting that the number of employees is insufficient, but for a short period they have been seeking in the Consumer Protection Directorate during their future plans to train and qualify employees better and increase the numbers to match the large population in the region.
The Minister of Economy in the Interim Government, Abdul Hakim al-Masry, stressed that there are conditions for the entry of food items through the border crossings with Turkey, such as that the validity of the imported item should not be less than three months, with the exception of some items with a short shelf life such as “eggs”, where they are tested and analyzed by a well-specialized laboratory and any items that do not meet the applicable conditions are destroyed, pointing to their continuous attempts to limit the entry of expired food items, as he sent the reporter dozens of photos and videos documenting the destruction operations, but he pointed out the possibility of food items expiring inside Syrian territory in the markets and with shop owners, which is difficult to control because the number of control and supply employees is insufficient, according to him.
The situation is not much different from the crossings affiliated with the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria, where Bankin Ahmed, an officer of the Supply and Consumer Protection Division in Qamishli, explained to the investigator, in a personal interview, that most of the expired materials are imported and enter through illegal smuggling routes, indicating that there are food laboratories at the crossings that monitor the standards and specifications of the materials in comparison to the world, according to him, while the Supply Division revealed to the investigator 1120 violations of food stores, including 630 violations for the presence of expired materials in the city of Qamishli alone during the past year. On September 1, 2024, a group of food items (halawa, tahini, mayonnaise…) that had expired for three months from their expiration date were seized by the Supply and Consumer Protection Division of the Autonomous Administration. The investigator in Qamishli reviewed them and documented them with exclusive photos showing that their expiration date was June 1, 2024 (6/1/2024), as the date was written on samples from the boxes in the Supply Office.
The Division confiscated the seized quantity of products from a company whose original origin is Turkey and whose owner is a well-known and major merchant in Qamishli, in importing food products to the region, but the division did not disclose the quantity and the size of the violation, while the supply official indicated that the violation is always confiscating the seized quantity and fining the owner of the company or shop the value of the expired materials, and destroying and burning the seized quantity.
In confirmation of the witnesses’ testimony about the spread of expired food products in some shops in the Idlib region and in the north in particular, the investigator went to the region and bought a group of food products, including canned foods, baby food, nuts and juices, and found that 80% of the goods that were purchased were expired, either through the date stamped on their packaging or through the smell, taste, color and texture.
Daily poisoning cases in hospitals
Pharmacist Mashhour Al-Abdullah, who was interviewed in the same area targeted by the field visit, noted that the most common food items that cause food poisoning is ice which is used to cool drinking water, as it is manufactured in local factories that do not take into account safety and hygiene conditions, and then it is transported and distributed under worse conditions, followed by children’s foods, especially chocolate and chips” and then dairy products, cheeses, meats, canned foods, etc.
Doctor and nutritionist Shukran al-Qadi, who resides Idlib city, said that the expiration date is the period during which food remains safe and suitable for human consumption while maintaining its quality under appropriate storage and transportation conditions. She added that putting an expiration date on products aims to ensure food safety, as eating expired foods may lead to a loss of their nutritional value and a change in taste, leading to health consequences including digestive disorders, stomach pain, and indigestion.
Al-Qadi also pointed out that food spoilage occurs as a result of microbiological or chemical changes; the proliferation of bacteria and microorganisms produces unpalatable substances, while chemical reactions change the sensory properties of foods. Al-Qadi points out that some foods may contain pathogenic organisms without any obvious change in appearance or smell, which makes it necessary to pay attention to the expiration date and dispose of expired foods to preserve health and avoid potential risks.
Food poisoning in Qamishli, a famous restaurant under the microscope
Here we review some of the cases of people who suffered from food poisoning (intestinal inflammation) as a result of eating spoiled food at different times and places in northern Syria:
On September 22, 2024, hospitals in al-Qamishli and its countryside in Ma’badi/Kirkki Laki town received more than 20 cases of food poisoning as a result of eating meals containing spoiled materials in an al-Qamishli fast food restaurant.
The director of the Syrian Specialized Hospital in Qamishli, Yahya Saadoun confirmed to the report’s investigator who visited the hospital and reviewed the records of the injured, that they received about 20 cases (including 9 from one family) in two days, who suffered from intestinal infection (food poisoning), and their conditions varied between mild and severe. They were all discharged after receiving treatment, suggesting that there was spoiled mayonnaise (garlic cream) in the meal. Meanwhile, the health office in al-Qamishli municipality affiliated with the Autonomous Administration indicated to the investigator that the cause of the poisoning was eating a Russian salad in the restaurant, and the office formed an investigation committee into the incident. The committee’s analyses revealed that the cause of the poisoning was cooling and heating the salad more than once, and the committee issued a decision threatening the restaurant owner with closing it for five days.
It is one of the fast food restaurant chains, as it served more than 3910 orders with a value exceeding 194 million Syrian pounds, within eight months of its opening, according to Al-Jazeera Market application published on the application page on June 16, 2024.
The restaurant management in al-Qamishli did not respond to the inquiries of the investigator about the incident, while two sources from the restaurant were contacted via WhatsApp, one of whom said that the news was false and ended the call, while another source from the same restaurant confirmed that there were cases that were infected, but they were few, and he considered it a normal case, indicating that he also suffered from food poisoning from eating meals in another restaurant, which indicates, according to what activists and press reports confirmed, that the owners of most restaurants in al-Qamishli do not adhere to health and food safety standards.
Mazkin Abdullah (43 years old), from Ma’badah town, east of al-Qamishli, confirmed to the investigator via WhatsApp that he, two of his sons and his nephew suffered from food poisoning after eating a Crispy meal (chicken breast) from the aforementioned restaurant, on that day, which witnessed similar cases in al-Qamishli. He said that at exactly six o’clock in the evening on Sunday, the twenty-second of last month, he was coming to Qamishli with his family, and his daughter, Eileen Abdullah (8 years old), asked him to have dinner at the aforementioned restaurant, and they all ate the same meal. After their return, they were all transferred to Dar Al-Shifa hospital in the town, and they stayed there for five consecutive days until they recovered. While Nourhan’s condition was more severe according to the medical tests that the investigator reviewed a copy of.
The result of the CRP test (protein test), which is one of the proteins produced by the liver in response to inflammation, on September 23rd was 197, which is very high above its normal limit 0 – 5.0 mg/L, which is an indicator of the presence of inflammation in the intestines, and after two days it decreased by a small percentage 99.1 according to the Jan medical analysis laboratory in Ma’badah town.
Widespread Expired Food in Northern Syrian Markets
According to an online opinion poll prepared specifically for this investigation during September 2024, among residents in the regions of Afrin, Idlib, al-Qamishli and al-Hasakah, the results of the survey showed that the phenomenon of the spread of expired food in the markets is a noticeable health concern among the population, revealing a clear deficiency in the food control systems. The survey included 101 male and female participants 41 of whom reside in the camps of Idlib and Afrin.
The vast majority of participants (74 people) confirmed that they had noticed the presence of expired food in the markets. This number is a worrying indication of the extent of the spread of this phenomenon, especially since 43 of them indicated that these materials have been available in the markets for more than six months. This result shows that the problem of weak food control is not an emergency, but rather an ongoing problem.
The impact of prices on consumer behavior
When participants were asked about the prices at which expired products are sold, 38 people said that they are sold at low prices, which raises questions about the possibility that poverty and economic conditions are a motive for purchasing these products despite their health risks. However, 34 participants confirmed that prices do not differ.
The survey also revealed that spoiled food is not only a result of its expiration, but also a result of poor storage, as 61 participants confirmed that they encountered spoiled food due to inappropriate storage conditions due to the lack of electricity in many of the targeted areas or their reliance on solar energy, which is often not sufficient, or that the storage method is not appropriate, as most grocery stores in the camps in northern Syria are located within tents covered with fabrics that do not protect from the heat of the sun, or because food is displayed in front of the shops and directly under the sun.
The most prominent expired items that participants encountered were canned foods in various forms at 68%, followed by baby food at 37%, followed by beverages at 34%, dairy, cheese and its derivatives at 26%, baby milk at 19%, and other items such as eggs, nuts, pickles, meat, legumes and medicines at 25%, all of which are essential items in the daily diet, which increases the risk of consuming them when they are not fit for consumption. Regarding diseases resulting from consuming expired items, 45 participants confirmed that they or a member of their family had been exposed to diseases resulting from consuming expired food items. The cases varied between severe diarrhea, food poisoning, and high temperatures, some of which required hospitalization. The most common symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting, while others reported suffering from intestinal inflammation and severe abdominal pain.
This widespread prevalence of foodborne illnesses highlights the risks of uncontrolled food products, causing cases of poisoning that can sometimes lead to serious complications requiring urgent medical intervention.
Food poisoning is a disease that occurs as a result of eating spoiled food, accompanied by fever or chills, and digestive symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, in addition to watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. The poisoning condition sometimes reaches a stage that is dangerous to public health. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with previous illnesses are particularly at risk. 220 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases annually, which kill 96,000 of them, according to the World Health Organization, which confirms in a report issued in 2023 that unsafe food produces 31 pathogens (germs, viruses, parasites, toxins, and chemicals) that lead to malnutrition or other diseases, such as listeria, which is one of the most dangerous foodborne diseases and is found in various types of ready-made foods and causes miscarriage of pregnant women or the death of newborns and the elderly, or mycotoxins that can be found in canned corn or moldy grains at high levels and may cause in the long term Eating it affects the immune system and normal growth or causes cancer.
Weak reporting mechanisms and penalties increase the spread of spoiled goods
Regarding the mechanisms for reporting spoiled and expired materials, 38 people confirmed that they did not report the expired materials they encountered, while 17 people expressed a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of reporting. These numbers reflect the absence of clear and effective channels for reporting spoiled products. At the same time, 21 people indicated that they do not know how to file reports, which illustrates the large gap in awareness about control and consumer protection mechanisms. Perhaps the most significant is that 23 people confronted the sellers directly without resorting to the regulatory authorities, which reflects the lack of confidence in the relevant institutions and the ineffectiveness of the complaints system.
Regarding the opinion of the sample targeted by the questionnaire on local authorities’ oversight, more than half of the participants (52 people) expressed their opinion that oversight by local authorities is weak, indicating a clear deficiency in preventive measures. In contrast, 21 people reported that the level of oversight isaverage, while 17 people indicated that there is oversight but it is insufficient to meet the needs of the local market. These results confirm that there is an urgent need to strengthen the oversight structure and unify efforts between local authorities to improve the level of food control, especially with the spread of the phenomenon of spoiled and expired foodstuffs. Regarding the most important suggestions of the sample targeted by the questionnaire to reduce the phenomenon of the spread of expired food, the participants indicated the importance of strengthening and improving food control by local authorities, by forming specialized field teams, increasing coordination between the relevant authorities to unify control standards, in addition to the need to launch awareness campaigns for consumers about the risks of consuming expired food and the importance of reporting spoiled foodstuffs, and raising the level of penalties imposed on traders and importers who deal with spoiled foodstuffs, as the current penalties are not deterrent, as it has become clear to us, as they are limited to confiscating the materials and paying small fines.
The investigation clearly highlights the fragility of control systems in northern Syria, and reveals a tragic reality in which residents suffer from health risks resulting from the consumption of unsafe food. Weak food control, overlapping authorities, and widespread corruption are all factors that have exacerbated this crisis amidst the ongoing chaos. The solution remains dependent on unifying efforts between local authorities, strengthening control, and activating international laws. At present, residents are the primary victims of this ongoing neglect.
This investigation is part of a project implemented by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression and was published on Jesr Press website on Febraury 15, 2025, under the supervision of Dr. Mona Abdel Maqsoud.
This investigation was prepared and completed before the fall of the Syrian regime.
