Only 1,079 food service outlets nationwide have received FDA Food Hygiene Permits, according to data from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Restaurants, fast food outlets, food trucks, chop houses, and catering services are among the businesses.
Out of the approximately 5,000 street vendors taught in excellent hygiene procedures from 2021 to ensure that food sold anywhere was safe, just 1,079 satisfied the FDA’s basic food safety criteria.
When a catering facility complies with the fundamental hygiene standards outlined in the FDA’s Code for Hygienic Standards for Food Service Establishments, the FDA grants the facility a food hygiene permit.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko, the FDA’s CEO, remarked.
She stated that it was unlawful for establishments like restaurants to not have a Food Hygiene Permit on display at the point of sale and warned that doing so could result in a fine.
“It is required that all food service establishments display Food Hygiene Permits at the point of sale, the idea of the permit is to boost the confidence of the public when buying the food,” she stated.
The safety of food supplied by vendors, according to Mrs. Darko, has become a serious worry. She urged all parties involved in maintaining food safety, such as municipal assemblies, to help enforce ordinances for everyone’s safety.
She urged food vendors to make sure that the food was prepared and sold in a clean and hygienic manner, emphasizing that hot foods must always be kept hot and that salads sold to the general public should be kept on ice.
“Before you serve any food, wash your hands with soap under running water, make sure you have clean napkins and clean utensils,” she added.
The application for food safety training is available at any FDA location nationwide, according to Mrs. Darko.
She stated that this year, the FDA will place a greater emphasis on foods sold on the street and intended to train and issue 1,000 Food Hygiene Licenses in Accra alone.
No food service establishments at the Tema Lorry Station in Accra and its surroundings had a Food Hygiene Permit, according to inspections conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
At the point of sale, some food vendors only displayed stickers from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Tourist Authority (GTA).
In order to provide consumers with nutritious food that is safe, the FDA introduced the National Food Safety Policy in 2022.
In Ghana, the strategy is anticipated to strengthen food safety governance, foster collaboration for food safety, and ensure that food safety laws and regulations are uniformly applied.
