As Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark 2024 World Food Safety Day, the Ashanti Regional office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) educated women at the Tafo market on food safety.
World Food Safety Day is celebrated across the globe annually on June 7 to raise awareness about the importance of food safety and to encourage actions that help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks.
“Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected,” which is the theme for the 2024 celebration underlines the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents, no matter how mild or severe they can be.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in 10 people worldwide fall ill from contaminated food each year with over 200 diseases being caused by contaminated food.
This year’s celebration will, therefore, draw attention to food safety incidents globally.
It is for this reason that the FDA in the Ashanti Region visited the Tafo market in collaboration with the Old Tafo Municipal Environmental Health Directorate, to sensitise the women on the importance of food safety in commemoration of the day.
The three different teams moved from shop to shop, stall to stall, and table to table to engage them on best practices in handling food to keep them safe for consumption.
With the aid of leaflets and posters containing simple messages on how to keep food safe, the teams encouraged the women to prioritise the safety of customers in their businesses.
As the team traversed the market to engage the women, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), FDA Ashanti, Mr. Daniel Geraldo also engaged them on the Information Centre in the market.
He told them to be conscious of how they stored food and other items meant for consumption to ensure their qualities were not compromised.
They should also ensure that goods are sold out before expiry while those expired disposed off immediately in collaborarion with environmental health officials.
Mr. Geraldo reminded the market women that as key players in the food supply chain, they had a critical role to play in food safety and public health.
“You have a duty not to expose food items and other products meant for human consumption to dust and flies in order not to put the health of your customers at risk,” he implored them.
Ms. Linda Fowaa Owusu, Assistant Environmental Health Analyst, Old Tafo Municipal Assembly, commended the market women for their cooperation, and urged them to adhere to the messages shared with them in the interest of public safety.
“Beyond this exercise, we always engage the market women when it comes to market sanitation, food safety and hygiene to ensure the safety of the public,” she noted.
GNA
