A Food Safety Crusade Towards Sustainable Life

By Lawrence Manu-Gyan

Food is a fundamental necessity for all living organisms, providing energy and sustaining life. Maintaining good health requires a balanced diet, comprising a variety of foods to ensure the intake of essential nutrients. However, diseases from the consumption of unwholesome foodstuffs are a real threat to all these benefits. Around the globe, people face the serious impact of diseases caused by consuming unhygienic and unsafe food on a daily basis. 

Emphasizing good hygienic practices is crucial to prevent and control foodborne illnesses resulting from consuming contaminated foods. The food we consume should be devoid of harmful substances such as microorganisms and chemicals. In Ghana, the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, operating under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, plays a vital role in ensuring food safety and a hygienic environment. This department also regulates the activities of food and meat vendors. 

I sat down with a food and meat inspector at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, to delve deeper into the topic of food hygiene. During the interaction, he urged vendors to obtain medical certificates through mandatory screenings for renewal. To guarantee the wholesomeness of meat from kebab sellers, the Assembly inspection team has actively inspected slaughterhouses before allowing meat to be sold. 

Importantly, they collaborate with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Veterinary Services to inspect and issue certificates for meat and food imports from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Togo. He warned consumers against purchasing unprotected food, highlighting the risk of communicable diseases such as typhoid and Salmonella.