By Our Correspondent, 24th April, 2024
As part of efforts to ensure food safety in the state capital of Ondo State, the Management of the Akure South Local Government has organized a 2- Day Seminar for Food Vendors in the Council Areas.
The seminar is a programme that comes up every three years with intent to sensitize food Vendors in the local government on the need to be hygienic in their cooking and maintaining clean environment.
The 2-Day Seminar was held at the Ayo Omorege Hall, Akure South Local Government Secretariat on the 24th-25th April, 2024.
Mrs Omoloja Modupe, the Head of Local Government Administration in Akure South while speaking at the sensitization seminar for the Food Vendors themed, Food Hygiene & Safety said food Vendors are not expected to do business the usual way but the right way of putting cleanliness and total hygiene in place.
The HOLGA said most of the food Vendors are not aware of the Public Health advise on routinely washing of hands before handling food and after visiting toilets, saying some are not even screened for communicable diseases which can easily be transmitted through contamination of the food prepared for human consumption.
She added that the Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 legally requires food business owners to carry out their food tasks safely and hygienically. “Ensure the area you are cooking is clean and hygienic, handlers of food should have high standard for personal hygiene, wear clean uniform among others”.
She expressed optimism that food and nutrition related illness and diseases will be far from the local government after the seminar which is targeted at making the vendors catalyst of the war against health threat in Akure South Local Government.
Mrs Omoloja said all stakeholders in the business need to invest in food safety and all hands must be on desk to sustain the noble cause.
She advised the Food Vendors to be mindful of their health and endeavors to do regular medical check up saying it is for their own good and consuming public.
On her part, the Head of Department, Local Government Environmental Services, Sanitarian Grace Ikuomola commended the impressive turn out of the Food Vendors to the seminar, noting that the local government put the programme together to educate Vendors on the need to always maintain food hygiene and safety.
Ikuomola said the importance of food for human growth and nourishment is inexhaustible to achieve a healthy lifestyle, likewise, the effects of consuming unwholesome food that contains infectious or toxic substances is injurious to health.
She added that, maintaining the highest standards of hygienic while working with food components prohibit and control the spread of diseases.
Ikuomola submitted that food safety is of crucial importance to everyone and more so to the manufacturers of processed products, hotels, eateries, bakeries, butcheries or slaughter houses among others, adding that food is one of the most traded goods in the world and the food vendors must prioritize hygiene and safety of their customers.
She urged all the participants in the seminar to translate whatever they learn into their business, noting that the Department of Environmental at the local government will ensure strict compliance with the implementation of safety rules in their respective canteens.
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While enjoining Food Vendors to upgrade themselves from traditional ways of cooking, Sanitarian Ikuomola said what differentiate them from popular eateries are packaging and branding.
Responding on behalf of the food Vendors, the State President of Food Vendors in Ondo State, Chief (Mrs) Adebola Fayode-Bola Meat commended the Management of Akure South Local Government for organizing the seminar, adding that the seminar will further enlighten the food Vendors on the danger of not keeping hygienic environment.
She promised to collaborate with the local government in ensuring all food Vendors in the council areas maintain food hygiene and safety.
