Health guidelines needed in NCDC

 THE NCDC health sector needs to implement the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Plan or Policy (HACCP) in NCD.

HACCP is a key element of a food safety plan focused on systems or processes that are required to ensure food is produced safely and that it poses no threat to public health.

Once this food safety policy is implemented, it will ban the sale of cooked food, homemade cold water drinks, ice blocks and frying of meats on the streets as they are unhygienic and have the high potential to spread disease.

All fastfood outlets and supermarkets will have to adhere to strict guidelines on food handling, cooked food temperature control in food warmers, frozen meat freezer temperature settings, shelf life of fresh meats and general cleanliness inside and outside of the buildings etc. 

Once this policy is in place, the inspectors will use HACCP guidelines to inspect the fastfood outlets and supermarkets.

This will get remedy customer complaints of overnight cooked food being sold and consumption of expired meat products as well as tinned products past their use-by dates on the shelves.

Nelson Opu, Via email