Caterers advised to use fresh food ingredients

Takoradi, July 13, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Asong, National Public Relations Officer of the Traditional Caterers Association, has advised members to use fresh ingredients to prepare their food.

“Some caterers use rotten food stuffs such as vegetables to prepare food and this is a health hazard to consumers”, he said.

Mr Ansong was speaking at an educational forum on food hygiene for traditional caterers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis organised by the National Food Fortification at Takoradi at the weekend.

He noted that most food vendors have operated in an unhygienic environment and serve customers with their bare hands.

Mr Ansong advised food vendors to use ladles, spoons and forks to serve customers and when necessary cover their hands with plain polythene tied with rubber band when serving consumers.

This, he said, would help prevent consumers from contracting communicable diseases such as cholera.

“Those who sell roasted yam, loaves of bread and other savouries should use sieve to cover them”, Mr Ansong said.

He said that drinking spot operators should use disinfectant to wash their glasses and change the water they use in washing the glasses often.

“Drinking spots should stop selling bitters to consumers since it has serious health implications, Mr Ansong said.

Madam Priscilla Amoah, a representative of the Health Education and Promotion Unit of the Ghana Health Services, advised caterers not to over cook their foods so as not to destroy the nutrients in them.

She said over cooking, if continually done, could make consumers especially children anaemic.

Madam Amoah also advised food vendors to use flour and oil which are fortified for their foods to help reduce the level of vitamin and mineral deficiencies of consumers.

GNA