FDA initiates steps to address contamination of food

The Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, has begun initiating measures to ensure food safety to reduce microbiological contamination.

Unsafe food globally poses dangers and health risk to consumers as it creates a vicious cycle of foodborne diseases particularly diarrhoea.

A report commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), estimates the burden of foodborne diseases caused by 31 agents–bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals, causes illness among 600 million, or almost 1 in 10 people worldwide each year after consuming contaminated food.

Of these, 420, 000 people die, including 125,000 children under the age of 5 years, representing almost one -third (30% ) of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in Children under 5 years.

As a result, the Eastern Regional Secretariat of the FDA as part of the Food Safety Sensitization programme on the theme “Enhancing Food Security, through Safe Food Practices”, the Authority is embarking on food safety awareness programme to sensitize food vendors, traders and consumers on the need to desist from acts that lead to microbiological contamination of food.

Staff of the Authority invaded markets and the streets of the Regional Capital, Koforidua, to demonstrate the importance of food safety to the traders and the public.

Speaking to GHOne News, the Eastern Regional Director of FDA, Samuel Kwakye said due to lack of modern market structures, it is very difficult to strictly enforce the laws against the open sale of food in microbiological contaminated environment.

However, continuous education is being done for traders to initiate proffered alternatives to mitigate the risk of Microbiological contamination in preparing, handling and sale of food items to the public.

Some Traders told GHOne News, the government must provide them good market stalls with hygienic environment to help reduce food contamination.