FCTA Cautions Food Handlers On Hygiene And Safety

By: Prudence Okonna

To avoid food poisoning that may degenerate into public health concerns in the nation’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), has warned food handlers to abide by safety and hygiene guidelines for food handling in their various establishments or risk sanctions.

Acting Director, Public Health Department, Doris John, gave the warning during the opening ceremony of a mandatory training workshop for food handlers in the hospitality industries and food service establishments, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Thursday.

The Director noted that any food service establishment found wanting of the rules guiding food safety, risk penalties, fines, or in extreme cases, sealing off their outfits.

John emphasized that the essence of the training is to eliminate food poisoning, which affects human health, hence, the training of the handlers on food safety and hygiene.

Her words: “What we are concerned about is human health; every food handler needs to know about food safety; how to keep food safe, right from the market up to the table of the consumer, and how to maintain environmental and personal hygiene”.

According to her, the training, which was organized, by the Environmental and Occupational Health Division (EOHD), Public Health Department (PHD) of the Health Services and Environmental Secretariat of the FCTA is part of the annual activities targeted at ensuring that food handlers in the FCT are inundated with requisite skills and knowledge to serve their customers optimally.

John revealed that aside from the annual training, there is a bi-annual screening of food handlers to ascertain they are free from germs that can contaminate the meals served to their customers.

She added that EOH officers conduct regular inspections of food service establishments to ensure that they adhere to the dressing rules, their environments are free from rodents and cockroaches, and safety guidelines are strictly adhered to by workers.

Also speaking at the occasion, head of Environmental and Occupational Health Division, Public Health Department, Modi Jubrin, explained that the training is basically to ensure that food handlers are well equipped to ensure effective public health and safety.

Jubrin noted that the two-day training will be held morning and evening, in four batches for 213 food handlers in Abuja Continental Hotel.