THE Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) within the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), conducted a food safety seminar yesterday.

It was held at Ocean View Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, for school canteen operators and other food handling personnel.
Speaking at the forum, Acting Director of the GA-FDD, Ms. Jewel Sears said the aim of it was to educate and sensitise operators of school canteens about handling food safely, in order to prevent contamination and food borne illnesses.
She said it is a legal requirement and known responsibility of food handlers to participate in safe food preparation practices.
Sears said it is also important to note that this sensitisation is at a time of the year when a wide variety of foods are consumed, as persons do not only consume the normal, so there are increased demands and more sales.
She told the participants that, as such, it is necessary to use the principles taught them and pointed out that education is only the beginning, as there needs to be a commitment to implementing and applying the training they receive.
It will go a long way in ensuring that Guyana’s children are safe from being infected by food borne diseases, Sears said.
She thanked those who took part in the exercise and expressed hope that it will be of benefit, as they seek to impart to those who participated elements of food safety for handlers, particularly those from school canteens.
Good initiative
Meanwhile, one of the participants, from Jerries Restaurant, Shameika Prosper said she thinks it was a very good initiative by the Health Ministry and PAHO.
She agreed it would enable the participating group to learn about health safety in food preparation and also about food borne diseases which can be spread through the serving of these foods, especially in school canteens.
“It’s great what they’re doing here today for food handlers and different canteens and food places out there. I think there should have more of these seminars across the country,” Prosper advocated.
Some topics on the agenda were ‘An introduction to food safety’, ‘Basic Microbiology’, ‘Food service illness and injury’, ‘Receiving and storing food’, ‘Preparing food’, ‘Serving food’, ‘Cleaning and sanitising’, as well as a video presentation on pathogenic contamination.
The participants were given the opportunity to secure food handling identification cards.