The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has urged the public to observe the “five keys to food safety” to ensure the food they consume is safe and wholesome.
The safety measures are; keeping clean at all times through proper washing of hands and utensils, separating raw food from cooked food to avoid contamination, cooking food at the right temperature, keeping food at the right temperature and using the right and wholesome food products.
Mr Albert Ankomah, the Upper West Regional Head of the FDA, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa noted that it was a collective responsibility of all actors in the food value chain to ensure the safety of food the public consumed.
He was speaking in relation to the World Food Safety Day (WFSD), which is observed every June 7 since 2018 to create awareness about food safety protocols, detect and prevent foodborne risk and to contribute to food security among others.
This year’s celebration, which was on the theme: “Safe Food Today for a Healthy Tomorrow”, was to emphasize that production and consumption of safe food had immediate and long-term benefits to humans, the planet and the economy.
Mr Ankomah said the food at every stage including; the production, transportation, storage and processing phases must remain free of any form of contamination.
“The farmers have a responsibility to ensure that before the food leaves their farm it is safe, so everybody along the food chain have the responsibility to ensure that the food is safe.
So let’s all play our part to ensure that our food will not cause any food poisoning when we eat or we consume them” he explained.
Mr Ankomah said as part of activities to mark the World Food Safety Day in the region, the FDA in collaboration with the Jirapa Municipal Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, embarked on public education at the Jirapa market on Sunday to educate the public on food safety measures.
He said food vendors at the market, butchers, vegetable sellers and the consuming public were all engaged one-on-one as well as through the public address system on the need to constantly ensure safety of the food they sold, bought or consumed.
The Regional FDA Boss added that they conducted food safety education through some radio stations in Wa, stressing the importance of personal hygiene and proper food storage.