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Food Hygiene and Health workshop
9 April 2008
Over 40 environmental health officers and health assistants from all over the country are attending a week long workshop in food hygiene and Hazard Critical Control Point (HACCP) in Walvis Bay. The HACCP is a tool used in many countries aimed at food outlets to assess hazards and establish control systems focusing on the prevention of food contamination.
The intensive workshop organised by the Ministry of Health and Social Services was prompted by the numerous complaints about food borne diseases country wide. Geraldo Benade, Control Chief Health Inspector: Public Hygiene in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, noted that food borne diseases that could otherwise be prevented are a serious public health threat and place a huge burden on hospitals on a daily basis.
He said it was an obvious and indisputable fact that the food that ends up on people's dining tables travels a long journey. He blames the lack of integration among local authorities and central government as the factors that "inhibit the implementation and enforcement of good food safety policies."
"The current food safety systems are overlooking some of the most obvious contamination entry points along the food chain. For example, while the responsibility for the safety of produce lies primarily with the inspectors, they have a limited role in supervising the growing and processing of produce. Inspectors conduct no inspections on farms, except in response to the outbreak of a food borne illness." The workshop will equip the participants with skills and knowledge on how to capacitate food outlet managers and employees.
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