Food vendors must meet health standards

It is also very common for environmental and food hygiene experts to pay unannounced visits to these eating joints, not only to inspect the facility but also check the stock of raw materials available to ensure that they have not expired. The chefs, kitchen staff and waiters and waitresses are also screened.

In those jurisdictions, eating places which do not meet the standards are immediately closed down.

Unfortunately, in our part of the world, although our local assemblies have the requisite laws to back them in their work, enforcing the laws becomes a major challenge. The officials have always found one reason or another to explain away their inefficiencies.

 In times of yore, dough nuts (bofrot) and fried yams were sold in covered sieves. But now they are sold in the open and in very unhygienic environments. Sometimes the condition in which the people selling those food items find themselves is so disheartening.

But what else can we expect in a country where enforcing the laws is a major headache?

All over our cities and towns food is sold around choked gutters and in filthy surroundings. Yet we have local officials not only inspecting such environments but also  eating and drinking at such places.

What this means is that the lives of millions of Ghanaians are always in danger from such food vendors, especially when we spend most of the day at our workplaces and the markets and have to depend on food vendors.

The Daily Graphic believes that if our local authorities, especially those in the health and sanitation units, will be up and doing, they will help reduce the disease burden on the nation.

We appreciate the work done by the KMA and we believe if the other assemblies emulate that initiative, they will be contributing to building a healthy nation.

We, however, urge the authorities to institute a monitoring system as well, so that those not certified to sell food do not shift locations to sell food to unsuspecting people.