Madam Rita Odoley Sowah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dade Kotopon Constituency has organised a training programme on the use of local spices and personal hygiene for Caterers and Chop Bar Operators in the constituency. The training which was aimed at inculcating the habit of good food handling practices to promote food safety and compliance among the food service operators and caterers was also to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National Food Hygiene legislation. In an interview, Ms Sowah stated that the programme was meant to improve food safety to safeguard public health and safety, as well as the use of local spices in the preparation of meals. On the use of local spices, the MP noted that consumer demands and preferences in the cookery industry were fast-changing, hence the need to explore new ways of doing things or risk being kicked out of business. 'The use of local spices in preparing meals was not only healthy but medicinal,' she said. She said failure on the part of the caterers and chop bar operators to conform with trends could make them lose their relevance in the industry, a situation she said could have a negative impact on their finances Ms Sowah, who was hopeful that the training would enhance the skills of the trainees, urged them to consider the medicinal value of local spices and include them in their meals. The training was organized with the support of Footprint Africa. Source: Ghana News Agency