The Public Health Officers Association (PHOA) in the Western part of the North Bank Region in partnership with the Regional Officer for Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) on Wednesday confiscated and destroyed expired edible commodities from shopkeepers such as cartons of jumbo, maggi, jongue, tomatoes among other foodstuffs, closed one restaurant and warned many restaurant owners at the Barra market in Lower Niumi District.
Mr. Victor Jatta, the chairman of PHOA told The Voice that the inspection team confiscated and destroyed many food commodities because they are expired and not fit for consumption as it could be detrimental to human health.
He then added that the closure of Muttar Bah’s restaurant was due to his lack of medical certificate to operate a restaurant, noting that anyone who wants to establish a restaurant should follow the due process to ensure that he\or she has the required document from the public health office.
“If someone wants to establish a restaurant, we [the health personnel] have to take the person to a laboratory for medical check-up so that we would know whether he\or she is free from communicable disease,” he noted.
However, Muttar Bah accepted the closure of the restaurant until he gets the medical certificate, adding that he would follow the due process.
Nevertheless, Ebrima B Sonko, FSQA officer in the Western NBR warned Fat Jah, proprietress of Yaay Faal Restaurant, Sira Camara proprietress of Sunu Restaurant and Omar Bella Barry, owner of Barry’s restaurant for indecent practices in their restaurants, saying that they should clean the premises of their restaurants, wash their basins and cups properly before dishing any food to their customers.
“You have to remove all the rubbishes beside your restaurant, wash the walls of the restaurant to ensure every where is clean, provide glass or other measures that prevent the house flies and other insects from entering into the facility because the food that people eat should be clean all the time,” he warned the restaurant owners in separate conversation, each in his or her working place.
He added that two week later the inspection team will re-visit the aforesaid restaurants, but noting that if they [health personnel] meet any abnormality in the restaurants, the victim will face the consequences as stated in FSQA and Public Health Acts.
On the other hand, Madam Fat Jah, Sira Camara and Omar Bella Barry among others assured to implement all the recommendations made by the health officers before the second phase of the inspection exercise.
Earlier, Alieu Sowe, the public health officer said the association in partnership with FSQA regional officer has the right to condemn the selling of any abnormal food in the market, adding that vendors who refuse to obey their operation will be summoned to law enforcement agency to face the full force of the law.
Author: Sulayman Waan
