The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has urged food vendors, traders, and consumers to prioritize food safety practices to reduce foodborne illnesses and protect public health. At a market durbar on Friday, organized by the FDA at Mallam Atta Market in Accra, Mrs. Maureen Lartey, the Director of Food Safety and Consumer Education at the FDA, encouraged traders to adopt safe practices. The program aimed to educate traders on proper food handling, environmental, and personal hygiene.
The program, which formed part of activities to mark World Food Safety Day, brought together market women, food vendors, and other stakeholders. It sensitized the gathering on prepackaged foods, food adulteration, and the prevention and management of food poisoning. Mrs. Lartey said the Mallam Atta Market was selected because it recorded a 100 percent pass rate in palm oil screening conducted by the FDA in 2014 and 2015.
Although the market had made progress, there was still room for improvement, particularly in maintaining proper hygiene and preventing food adulteration. Mrs. Lartey cited concerns about the adulteration of food products, including the addition of flour to peanut butter and the use of coconut oil and yeast in some food products and beverages. The FDA is intensifying surveillance and education, particularly within the informal food sector.
The Authority works closely with environmental health officers under local authorities, who have primary responsibility for sanitation and environmental health monitoring at markets. Mrs. Lartey pledged the FDA's commitment to collaborating with relevant agencies to ensure traders understood and complied with food safety requirements. She urged food handlers to observe the five keys to safer food.
The five keys to safer food include keeping clean, separating raw food from cooked food, cooking and reheating food thoroughly, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and using safe ingredients and buying food from safe sources. Mrs. Lartey explained that raw and cooked foods should be stored separately to prevent cross-contamination. She also advised traders to maintain appropriate temperatures for hot and cold foods.
Mr. Roderick Kwabena Daddey-Adjei, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Food Division of the FDA, highlighted the importance of salt iodization in protecting public health, particularly children's development. He explained that iodine deficiency could impair children's cognitive development and contribute to other health complications. The FDA demonstrated how to test salt at the market using a test kit.
Madam Akweley, Queen Mother of Mallam Atta Market, expressed gratitude to the FDA for bringing the education to the market. She urged traders to apply the lessons learned and share the information with others to ensure that food sold at the market was safe for consumption. The FDA reiterated that ensuring food safety required cooperation among farmers, food processors, transporters, traders, consumers, and regulatory institutions.
Key points
- The FDA educates traders on food safety practices to reduce foodborne illnesses and protect public health.
- The program aimed to educate traders on proper food handling, environmental, and personal hygiene.
- The FDA is intensifying surveillance and education, particularly within the informal food sector.
