City Hall promises thorough inspections for food vendors

Aug 25, 2017 News

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) yesterday hosted a Food Safety Seminar at their premises, which focused on better informing vendors on regulations and safe food practices as well as handling.

Chief Meat and Food Inspector (acting), Onica Alleyne delivering remarks to food handlers at the seminar yesterday.

The event which was hosted by the Food Hygiene Section, Public Health Department, was attended by almost 100 food handlers.
The seminar was chaired by Chief Meat and Food Inspector (acting), Onica Alleyne, who defined food as, “Any solid, liquid or semi-solid substance which when eaten provides nourishment to the body”.
She explained that a food handler is, “Any person that is involved in any stage of preparation, cooking or sale of food”. It was made clear that all such persons must, therefore, possess a food handler’s certificate to handle and sell food.
“As food handlers you have a very important role, and your role is to ensure that food that you serve to customers is safe for them to consume.”
Alleyne said that this can be done by preventing contamination of all forms, which can lead to illnesses, and this is labeled as food poisoning. Symptoms of this illness include vomiting, cramps and diarrhea, among others. The food inspector expounded on the various types of bacteria and the damage it causes.
It was on this note that she asserted that inspections are expected to be carried out in various food premises – in order to ensure that they are safe, as well as to reinforce regulations.
Food handlers across Guyana would usually undergo three tests, one which includes a blood test that is done to scan for diseases such as syphilis which should be absent in the body.
The inspector seized the opportunity to share tips during the seminar and was also able to answer questions from the curious vendors.
Alleyne advised that foods which have molds and mildew, which are common bacteria that are found in foods such as cheese and bread, should be thrown away and not cut off or toasted, also chemical contaminants such not be kept within close proximity of food. She also stated that they should be kept in their correct containers so as to prevent confusion.
According to Alleyne, there are also physical contaminants that can possibly be found in food, these may include plasters, hairs and strings. She said that while these may not cause actual bodily harm, food handlers are responsible for ensuring that such incidents do not occur. She added that food can become unsafe when purchased from unreliable sources, while in an effort to get it “cheaper”.
Foods are considered safe if stored at the correct temperature. Temperatures between 65 and four degrees Celsius are considered as unsafe and should be avoided since it is a danger zone, which contributes to bacterial development over a two-hour period.
The inspector used the opportunity to share tips during the seminar and was also able to answer questions from the curious vendors.
Meanwhile, City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, in her remarks, reminded the gathering that “School will be opened very shortly and so we brought them (food vendors) here today to recap on what they would’ve been taught during those sessions before. They’re all registered food handlers, and they would be selling at various schools, and we are trying to ensure that the foods which they offer for sale to our children are wholesome and good, and are of nutritional value. We will be telling them try not to prepare more than what you will be able to offer for sale”.
The Mayor, who just returned from Chile, explained she attended a ‘Healthy Cities Conference’ where those cities are introducing healthy foods styles for children all over. One of the things they are trying to do, she said, is prevent the sale of snacks, which will be substituted with healthy foods such as salads that are of nutritional value. She highlighted that Guyana has not yet agreed to the initiative.
According to her, “We are going to ensure that food that is offered for sale to our children is properly prepared, cooked and also stored”.
She stressed that “it is important for children to be properly fed, so as to secure a healthy generation. Children are able to focus better and can have improved performances, starting with something as small as a meal”. Green explained that children are sometimes rushed to the hospital because they would have consumed food which is not of good value.
The mayor noted that, “As school reopens on Monday, our inspectors will be going out to the schools to ensure that the persons who are offering food for sale are registered and have their badge placed on them”.
“We are taking names of all those persons there. Another thing we are going to do is that if you are offering food for sale outside of a school, we’re asking you where your food is being prepared; where do you live. And so one of these days our inspectors are going to turn up where you live to find out that the food is being prepared under healthy conditions. It goes also for the adults – for people who sell food in the night, in the day, anytime in the day, because there is one single standard for the preparation, cooking, storage and sale for food. But our emphasis this morning is on the school children, because school opens and most parents might say, ‘okay, you gun buy a snack at school’. We want to make sure that the snack you are purchasing outside from the vendor at school is properly done and properly prepared and offered for sale.
The Mayor took time to urge parents to ensure that the expiry date is valid on the foods they are giving to their children, also canteen operators to be aware of expiry dates on their products, since they had received complaints that there are expired goods on the market. She noted that the inspectors have since launched an investigation. According to her, “The food and drug department also assist us by seizing those stuff”.