The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has celebrated World Food Safety Day with Junior High School (JHS) students of the Effiduase Presbyterian A and B School in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The students numbering over 300 were educated on Food Safety to promote the purchasing, preparation, and consumption of healthy food to eradicate food-borne illnesses in society.
They were also quizzed on the topic to ascertain their understanding of the knowledge shared with them on food safety out of which 20 students were awarded with a mathematical set each for answering correctly to questions.
Ms Anita Owusu-Kuffour, the Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, said the theme for the 2024 World Food Safety Day Celebration was, “Food Safety, Preparing for the Unexpected”.
Students were targeted for the commemoration as they could influence their parents and peers to practice food hygiene when they were equipped with in-depth knowledge of Food Safety, she said.
Ms Owusu-Kuffour said the FDA was mandated by law to regulate food products in the country by licensing food-producing organizations and vendors to ensure that food sold in the market and various vending places were safe from contamination.
“For instance, in terms of regulating meat sellers, make sure that we inspect the abattoir or the meat vending place to ensure that the meat is under good condition before giving the sellers license to operate,” she noted.
Ms Owusu-Kuffour encouraged the students to share the knowledge gained on food safety with their parents and friends to ensure that food-borne illnesses were eradicated from society and the country.
Ms Juliet Adjeiwaa, a Regulatory Officer of the FDA in the Eastern Region in a presentation, said food safety was the assurance that food was safe from production to consumption through proper handling, preparation, and storage.
Using picture displays, she educated the students on food hygiene, proper storage of food, some purchasing tips, proper handling of raw vegetables and animal protein foods and some hygienic practices in the kitchen to ensure food safety.
She said usually contaminated foods caused illnesses such as stomach aches, vomiting, stomach upset and other severe health conditions which could not be ignored, and encouraged students to report to health practitioners when they experienced such symptoms, for proper healthcare and treatment.
She stressed the need for students to look out for things like clean environment, quality of food and display stands, bruised produces such as bruised tomatoes, and sellers who ignored personal hygiene practices, when purchasing food items from the market.
“Do not buy your food products from dirty environments and sellers and avoid bruised products such as tomatoes, ensuring that the quality of food and display stands are clean,” she advised.
Ms Adjeiwaa further advised students to avoid buying canned foods which were dented and rusty as such products may be contaminated with the metallic component of the can, making them unsafe for use.
She also encouraged the students to always check the expiry date, name of the product, the ingredients, the manufacturer details, and other writings when purchasing packaged products.
Ms Adjeiwaa said being informed about the details of packaged products could prevent students from purchasing and consuming contaminated foods which often led to food-borne illnesses.
Ms Nana Esi Assan, a JHS two student of the Effiduase Presbyterian ‘B’ School thanked the FDA for educating them on the need to always stay alert when purchasing and consuming food as the unexpected could happen.
