The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has encouraged salt manufacturers to properly iodize their produce to help improve the nutrition status and general well-being of Ghanaians. Mrs Faustina Atupra, the Director of Food Safety and Consumer Education, said the Universal Salt Iodization (USI) programme mandated that all salt produced, imported, distributed, and marketed in Ghana should meet the set standards of iodine content in salt, quality, iodization, and packaging for human and animal consumption. However, surveillance conducted by the FDA indicates that some salt on the market was not iodized. Mrs Atupra made this known during an open forum organised by the FDA at Sege market in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region. The open forum formed part of activities to commemorate the 2023 World Food Safety Day, which was celebrated on June 7, to ensure food safety in Ghana. It also sought to encourage dialogue with traders, producers, processors, and consumers, spread awareness on pertinent food safety topics and provide and exchange ideas. The theme for the World Food Safety Day celebration was 'Food Standards Saves Lives' which reminds countries of the critical role that food safety plays in people's daily lives. Mrs Atupra said food standards were the foundation upon which society thrived which encompassed a wide range of aspects from hygiene practices in food production to the rigorous testing of ingredients, from storage, and transportation conditions to the accurate labeling of products. 'By upholding and enforcing these standards, we are not only protecting the health of our citizens but also bolstering consumer trust in the food industry,' she added. She said no organization could tackle the challenge of food safety in isolation and called for joint efforts of the Government, regulatory bodies, industry stakeholders, and consumers to achieve lasting change. Mrs Atupra again urged Ghanaians to be ambassadors of food safety to improve the quality of health in the country. As part of the open forum, traders were sensitized on food safety, environmental cleanliness, personal hygiene, proper waste management and segregation, not exposing produce to the sun, the effects of food adulteration, and how to handle processed foods. Food vendors were also educated on how to properly handle their food for sale to prevent food poisoning, the need for food vendors to undergo medical screening to acquire a permit before they sell food to the public. The event was climaxed with a Food Safety quiz competition among the traders.

Source: Ghana News Agency