Maravi

MP calls for closure of food outlets with poor hygiene

MP calls for closure of food outlets with poor hygiene
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sun 09 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT

A PARLIAMENTARIAN has called for the closure of all food outlets in Lusaka that do not comply with hygiene standards. During the presentation of findings of a survey on hygiene in food outlets in Lusaka on Friday, Jean Kapata who is Mandevu member of parliament said the food outlets that were exposing people to hazardous conditions should only be re-opened after being certified bacteria-free.

And presenting a summary of the findings by the Lusaka City Council (LCC) in collaboration with UNICEF, council director of public health, Amos Musonda said 60 food premises - restaurants and bakeries - were sampled using a stratified sampling method where hand swab, water and salad samples were collected from each establishment three times.

He said the assessment of risk factors in food hygiene in restaurants revealed that out of the 60 restaurants and bakeries surveyed, 31 per cent had poor cleanliness of kitchenware and food contact surfaces.

He said a number of restaurants 38 per cent had food handlers with bad habits such as smoking and poking of the nose while 45 per cent of the restaurants had food handlers wearing jewelry.

Musonda said 60 per cent were without adequate use of protective wear while on duty.

He said only 60 per cent of the restaurants were subjecting their food handlers to medical examinations.

Musonda said the survey further found that a substantial number of restaurants 78 per cent had shown evidence of the presence of pests while only 55 per cent had pest control programmes in place.

He said most food handlers were not observing good personal hygiene and there were high levels of bacteria in salads meaning either the raw materials of these salads were initially contaminated or there was cross-contamination during or after preparation.

Musonda said the risk factors to poor hygiene in the restaurants had been identified as inadequate hand washing facilities, poor personal hygiene among food handlers, inadequate storage facilities for raw materials and prepared foods and inadequate solid and liquid waste management systems.

And Lusaka mayor Daniel Chisenga said although the Make Lusaka Clean Programme had recorded some success, it had demonstrated that much more needed to done.

“Traders have been exposing food for sale without proper facilities that provide for quality assurance for consumers. Some of the food is normally exposed to flies which may lead to contamination,” said Chisenga.

Labels: FOOD, JEAN KAPATA

posted by MrK @ 8:32 PM