Food vendors in schools must be certified - Health officer

Techiman (B/A), Jan. 11, GNA - Mr. Gabla Lodonu, Assistant Environmental Health Officer of the Techiman Municipal Assembly, has observed that unwholesome food being sold in some schools was causing frequent ailments for the school children and other consumers. He expressed concern about the medical status of some of the vendors, saying apart from the fact that many of them were medically unfit; they also lacked knowledge on the correct food nutrients and their effects on the children.

Mr. Lodonu was addressing separate fora of teachers and children of basic schools in the Techiman municipality as part of an outreach programme launched by the Environmental Health Division to whip up enthusiasm in the formation of environmental clubs in the schools. He asked the school authorities to allow only certificated food vendors to operate in their premises.

The Environmental Health Officer urged the school heads to also inspect the food being sold for consumption to ascertain the nutritional value before allowing the children to patronise them. Mr Lodonu warned against pollution of the school environment, adding that efforts should always be made to ensure "proper" disposal of solid waste.

He urged the schools to form Environmental Clubs to ensure that proper care on sanitation prevail in schools.