…retaught good hygiene, food preparation

THE Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) on Thursday held a food safety hygiene seminar with street-food vendors, who turned out in their numbers for the sensitisation exercise, which was geared towards the ‘know-how’ of safe food preparation and cooking.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green speaking to the media at City Hall said that the session was a recap of what has been taught to food handlers and with the re-opening of schools they invited them to be reminded of the importance of proper purchase, preparation, storage, and transfer of foods, which will be sold on the street.

She added that with the re-opening of schools it was necessary to remind the street-food vendors that they should sell only foods that are wholesome and are of good nutritional value. Chase-Green related that the street-food vendors were also enlightened that they should prepare foods that will sell for the day because if they prepare 10 egg balls and some did not sell they would have to properly store the egg balls that did not sell for the next day to avoid contamination.

She stated that the M&CC is here to ensure that foods that are sold to children are properly prepared and cooked. Chase-Green pointed out that all food handlers must be certified, a process which determines if that person is healthy enough to prepare foods for human consumption.

Additionally, the Mayor said the M&CC has a responsibility to ensure that street-food vendors do not have “whittlers and other skin diseases and also [that] they are properly attired with hair nets.” She said, “The meeting was called so that food handlers know the importance of what they have to do to prevent food contamination that is why we send them for blood tests so if we find they have any diseases they can be treated.”

Chase-Green explained that the meeting with food handlers is relevant because they want children to have proper snacks and foods so when they go in class they will be able to be comfortable without running to the toilet or have their parents take them to the hospitals for food poisoning. “We at M&CC are taking our time through our food hygiene department to spell out everything in detail to food handlers.”

She noted that all food handlers are registered with the M&CC and when the schools re-opened their food inspectors will be visiting schools to ensure that persons who are offering foods for sale are registered with M&CC and are wearing their badges and we have recorded their particulars. She said too that they will also be visiting the homes of food handlers to see where the food is being prepared.

Chase-Green also stressed the need for children to check for the expiry dates on products they purchase such as the packaged snacks such as corn curls. She said that food vendors on the streets sell from 6pm to 6am and they are not restricted in terms of time span and they should prepare that which is suitable for human consumption and is prepared under good hygienic conditions and free of contaminants.

Acting Chief Meat and Food Inspector, Onica Alleyne-Blackman, conducted the seminar touching on several topics: including the role of the inspection department, who is a food handler, food borne illnesses, how to handle foods safely, storing foods, handling raw meats, pest control, housekeeping, cooking foods at the correct temperature and managing personal hygiene.

Around 100 vendors attended the seminar.