The Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged a cross-section of Food Service Establishments (FSEs) in the Region on compliance with good hygiene practices. The goal was to remind them of their responsibility to prioritise hygienic practices to ensure food safety and to protect patrons of their services in the interest of public health. It also sought to expose participants to the Code of Hygienic Practice, which focused on a broad range of FSEs, including, but not limited to hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, snack bars as well as food service operations in institutions such as hospitals, schools, offices, and supermarkets. The purpose of the Code is to establish good hygienic practices for the preparation, packaging, distribution, delivery, storage, and sale of food intended for human consumption. Participants were taken through the details of the Code to appreciate the importance of adhering to hygienic practices and the sanctions for non-compliance. Ms Zeinab Serwaa Ach eampong, a Principal Regulatory Officer of the FDA, who led the discussion, emphasised the need for FSEs to desist from practices that could expose their customers to food-related diseases. She said applying for a permit from the FDA even before the establishment of any food business was the way to ensure effective regulation of the business. The immediate environment of the businesses, she indicated, must pose no threat to the wholesomeness and hygiene of the food. They must also keep their kitchens clean and adopt the habit of cleaning during and after cooking to maintain the wholesomeness of their foods meant for public consumption. She said keeping their eating places clean while their kitchens were unkempt was deceptive and a violation of the Code of Hygiene Practice, she said out and called for behavioural change. Ms Zeinab further implored the participants to always keep their kitchen walls and floors smooth for easy cleaning, reminding them that the kitchen was the immediate environment for the p reparation of their meals. Madam Abena Agyapomaa Asiamah, a Principal Regulatory Officer, who represented the Regional Head of the FDA, said the engagement was to bring FSEs up to speed with current good hygienic practices. 'We want them to know that we will be visiting their facilities unannounced to ensure that they are doing the right things for the safety of their customers,' she noted. She cautioned that the FDA would not hesitate to apply the necessary sanctions against facilities that may flout the Code of Hygiene Practice in their operations. Source: Ghana News Agency