Objective: To ascertain whether food vendors have their medical screening certificate and are complying with food hygiene principles.
On 21st – 22nd December, 2023 the Environmental Health Officers of the New Juaben North Municipal Assembly embarked on food premises inspection to ensure food vendors were complying with food hygiene principles such as;
- Checking of food vendors medical certificate.
- Cooking and preparing food in clean environment
- Use of clean water to prepare food.
- Provision of appropriate hand washing facility to ensure hand washing under running water.
FINDINGS
Seventy-three (73) food handlers inspected (vendors/hawkers), 62 had medical certificate whereas 11 were without medical certificate of fitness and were served with summons to avail themselves for the exercise. Seven (7) hawkers out of the Eleven (11) who availed themselves for the screening were issued with medical certificate of fitness to serve food for public consumption.
During the exercise, 27 food vending premises were visited. All were conforming to hygiene standards.
All the 27 food vending premises were using potable water to prepare food and for washing their utensils.
At the time of inspection Three (3) of the vendors were not having veronica bucket on their premises and were advised to procure one for use within a week.
Conclusion:
The inspection exercise was successfully carried out. But food vendors without the medical certificate were given a date for the mop up exercise to undergo screening.