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Food safety is essential

Jun 24, 2011, 1:15 PM

Food safety is essential for any nation. We, therefore, see the passing of the Food Safety and Quality Bill by the National Assembly as a good development.

The health and safety of our citizens should remain the prime responsibility of all.

In fact, we are equally concerned about what our people eat, and thus acknowledge the usefulness of this kind of bill.

What people eat should always be safe and fit for consumption.

The coming of the Food Safety and Quality Act will boost our national efforts to ensure a healthier nation.

The safety and hygiene of food should not be compromised at all.

Food-related diseases affect millions of people, and kill thousands.

Tracking single cases of food-borne diseases, and investigating outbreaks are critical public health issues which our authorities should keep abreast of.

The new Act provides for a new food safety Authority which, no doubt, will boost the National Nutrition Agency and the National Codex Committee in their work of advising government on food safety issues.

For the past years, the government has been concerned about food safety and how food has been prepared, in order to achieve the general objectives of a high level of protection of human health and life.

Consequently, measures should be put in place for the Act to be effectively implemented.

It is now the role of the key players, including the ministry of Health and Social Welfare to help sensitize the public on the contents of the new law.