The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Health Promotion Officer, Miss Rose Lawer has encouraged the general public to cultivate the habit of eating fresh and safe fruits in addition to their regular meals for better health conditions.
According to her, fruits provide important elements such as calcium, potassium, vitamins and other essential materials which are very critical to the human system and for that matter, must be handled with maximum care to avoid contaminations leading to health complications and possible death.
Miss Rose Lawer said some fruit vendors carelessly display the fruits on the bare floor, exposing them to unhealthy weather conditions such as sunlight, flies, dust, washing with dirty water and other harmful organisms which end up poisoning the fruit products.
The Health Promotion Officer therefore advised the general public to be very vigilant whilst buying fruits by focusing on quality and not quantity. She said the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) and other agencies which are responsible for public health and safety must be on top of their duties to save lives.
Meanwhile, the constitution of Ghana grants Ghanaians the right to health and safety. This right is protected through the regulatory work of State institutions such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Part Seven of the Public Health Act, 2012, Act 851 mandates the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to protect and safeguard the health of the Ghanaian public through the regulation of food, drugs, household chemical substances, cosmetic and medical devices.
Unsafe food at best will be unpleasant but in the worst case, it could lead to hospitalization or death. The loss of human capital and productivity through the consumption of unsafe food is therefore a critical regulatory issue.
The Food Safety Division (FSD) executes the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) mandate to protect public health and safety through the regulation of the food service industry, the control of meat production as well as assuring the safety of genetically modified organism for food, feed and processing.
It also provides technical support to the food industry to promote the production of safe and quality food through the application of contemporary food safety management systems.
Source; Prince Paul Amuzu/www.ritefmonline.org/princeamuzu667@gmail.com
