Address food safety concerns or risk closure - Quashigah

Accra, Feb. 6, GNA - Managements of hotels, restaurants and other eateries should take immediate measures to address food safety concerns at their respective facilities before February 29, 2007 or risk the closure of the facilities.

Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Health, in a statement issued on Tuesday said the Ministry had noted with concern a number of food safety issues of public health interest reported in the ongoing inspection of the food safety management systems in hotels, restaurants and other eateries nationwide.

Some of the concerns include poor sanitation and pest control systems; poor and non-enforcement of personal hygiene rules; absence of food handler's test for staff and absence of adequate staff amenities. The rest include inadequate storage facilities and poor handling of food ingredients; absence of comprehensive food safety training programme for food handlers, absence of Suppliers Quality Assurance Programme and the absence of records and documentation to facilitate traceability.

The release said the Minister under the Food and Drugs (FDB) Law had the mandate to close down the facilities if their management did not comply with the directives.

Major Quashigah said to ensure timely compliance with the directive managements might contact the FDB for technical assistance in the implementation of the recommendations by the Board, to address food safety issues in the country