Globally, 600 million people fall sick every year as a result of food poisoning or eating contaminated food.
Out of this, 420,000 people die, a report compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has revealed.
The report also said an estimated three million people in the world die from food and water-borne diseases every year.
The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, who disclosed extracts of the WHO report at the launch of the Ministry’s Food Safety Guidelines for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country, said the Ministry was concerned about the global report on water and food-related poisoning, therefore, the need to develop a new framework to guide food vendors in the country.
He said globally, food safety has become a major concern to many and that has also raised people’s awareness of the food they consumed, a situation which has improved public health and nutritional value of food people consumed.
He said the guideline contained the bye-laws meant to protect consumers’ health, ensure fair practices in the food trade, improve environmental hygiene and provide the legal basis for officials of the MMDAs to effectively monitor food safety in the country.
He charged the MMDAs to support the government’s effort to improve food safety and public health through the operationalisation of the guidelines.
On her part, Mrs Alice Esinam Dawson, Deputy Director of Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD), called on farmers to use the right chemicals and also not to process sick and dead animals, especially in the coming festive season to ensure the safety of consumers.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Ms Elizabeth Sackey, called on the MMDAs to raise the awareness of food quality in the country.
She pledged her outfit support for the continued screening of food vendors to ensure that persons in the food value chain adhere to the bye-laws.
The launch was on the theme: “Safe food now, for a healthier tomorrow” with a tagline, “Food safety everybody’s business.”
Abigail A. Amoako Boateng, ISD