Thirty people receive training on food safety

A WEEK-long training workshop on food safety conducted at MoHa Trading in Hela ended last Friday.
Facilitators Dian Kave and James Teio, from the Health Department’s office of food safety, trained more than 30 participants.
Provincial health inspector Rex Paliako said Parker, Tari, Margarima and Koroba secondary schools and staff from Ambua Lodge and other lodges and guest houses on ensuring they observed safe and hygienic practices in order to protect their students and customers.
Paliako said there was a concern raised that provincial inspectors were not doing enough to protect the public and consumers from diarrhoeal disease in the province.
He said food served at schools, guesthouses and lodges were not inspected including stores with food warmers and street vendors selling fried kaukau, sausages, pork and lamp flaps on road sides.
“We looked at an intervention programme that will reduce outbreaks of diseases. We are looking at securing water supplies, latrines, awareness, safety concepts and food safety training,” he said.
“I secured K80,000 from ExxonMobil with the support of the Hela health authority to carry out the training.”
Paliako said there was a rise in diarrhoea cases which was a concern and training on food safety was important to help minimise the risks and educate people.
He said diarrhoeal diseases were a concern in 2017 and last year and there was a need for intervention.
Paliako said he would be working closely with the Tari town manager to remove illegal barbecue stalls at roadsides in Tari.