FOOD AND DRUGS BOARD TRAIN 864 TRADITIONAL CATERERS AND STREET FOOD VENDORS IN A PILOT PROJECT

The Food and Drugs Board is in the process of implementing a nationwide strategic intervention on the safety of traditionally catered and street vended foods. The programme will involve major stakeholders such as the Environmental Health Directorate under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ghana Tourist Board and the Ghana Traditional Caterers Association.

As the first step, the Board completed a pilot project of sensitizing 864 Traditional Caterers and Street Food Vendors in Food Safety and Personal Hygiene in 9 sub-metros within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly from 12th – 27th May, 2008.

Participants were trained using the Five Keys to Safer Food, a training module adopted from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the relevant Bye-laws that govern their operations.

To ensure better understanding, two local dialects, Twi and Ga were used as medium of communication with Pictorial Aids and Drama Performance to demonstrate lessons on hygiene and safe food handling.

Feedbacks from participants indicate highly informed and sensitized caterers in basic principles in preventing food contamination and food borne diseases.