Be food safety conscious, Cooked Food Chairman charges members

By Motolani AbdulGafar

The chairman of Lagos State Cooked Food Sellers Association, Ejigbo branch, Comr. Boniface Ihajirika, has charged members and the general public to ensure good hygiene of cooked foods and items to promote good health.

Ihajirika stated that the negligence of food safety causes food borne diseases.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with ECHONEWS on the importance of World Food Safety Day celebration held every June 7, he explaining that the need for the celebration is to awaken sellers and consumers to prevent, detect and manage food borne risks, noting that this year’s theme: “Food Safety: Everyone’s Business” stipulates the need to synergise with one another to ensure food security.

“As sellers, the way in which some food items are stored, handled and consumed sometimes affects the safety of our food. But then complying with the food standards, established by government will help sustain effective regulatory food control systems within us.

“Our purpose for propagating this celebration is to ensure a healthy living because we believe that food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. That is, everybody has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and does not cause damages to our health.”

He urged members to ensure compliance to government’s 12 commandments that serve as a guideline for operating within the association.

He also appealed to the public health officials to strengthen the synergy between them so that both parties would have one voice to aid their work.