Recalcitrant food vendors at Aflao to be prosecuted

Aflao, March 16, GNA - Mr John Tetteh, Ketu District Head of Environmental Health on Wednesday said food vendors particularly those at Aflao who exposed their cooked food to filthy environment would be prosecuted. He noted that the perennial outbreak of cholera and typhoid fever within the district were due to poor handling of food and poor environmental hygiene in the area that should be reversed.

Mr Tetteh was addressing the closing session of a two-day workshop on food hygiene for food vendors and drinking bar operators at Aflao. The workshop attended by about 500 participants was part of a national education programme on environmental sanitation, food and personal hygiene and capacity building for traditional caterers. It was jointly organised by the Ghana Traditional Caterers Association (GTCA) Ministries of Food and Agriculture, Local Government and Rural Development, Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City. Mr Tetteh said food vendors formed an important segment of the country's tourism development plan and Aflao being an important gateway, should showcase the country with quality and safe food to the numerous tourists and visitors who pass through Aflao border. "It is abhorring to see cooked food on sale along the road, just before the border, being exposed to dust blown by moving vehicles and flies," He added.

On waste management at Aflao, Mr Tetteh said it was unfortunate that people could not understand that their attitude bore direct consequences to most of the diseases that affected them and should therefore, change their attitude. "The time has come to force them to change as we continue with our education," He said.

Mr Sonny Alorleveh, Environmental Health Officer in-charge of Aflao, asked the community not to consider personnel of his outfit as enemies or detractors but co-operate with them to ensure safety for all. He said the regulations for food vendors to be screened and treated of diseases before engaging in cooked food services would be enforced to avoid the spread of diseases. Nana Apraku Tuffour, National Coordinator of the workshop said available statistics indicated that 80 per cent of Ghanaians depended on cooked food vendors for food. He said it was therefore, imperative for food vendors to practice good hygiene in order not to jeopardize lives of their customers.