Dozens of food items have been confiscated from vendors in Barra due to unfit consumption, North Bank Region-West public health office confirmed.
Officials of Public Health Association and Food Safety and Quality Authority confiscated dozens of food items including cooked meat and loaves of breads.
Victor Jatta, chairman of public health officers told The Voice in an exclusive interview that: “health personnel had confiscated and destroyed multiple basins of cooked meat. The confiscation was made after my association has warned the vendors over cooking and selling in open spaces which they refused to comply.”
He then said that foodstuff should be cooked in an enclose environment to ensure that it’s not contaminated, adding that without that it could be detrimental to human health.
Mr. Jatta added that the loaves of breads were confiscated for selling in an open environment in both the market and car park of Barra.
He urged the food vendors to adhere to the recommendations of the health personnel to maintain hygiene in the society and called on the public to help the health officers in ensuring all food vendors work according to Public Health Acts.
He said that: “If anyone sees a vendor doing abnormal practices he/she should report the matter to the nearest Public Office so that we [the health personnel] will take care of that issue.”
Ebrima B Sonko FSQA regional officer for NBR West said the inspection exercise was a follow-up after series of warning to the food vendors and bread sellers within the Barra market and car park for indecent way of selling edible substances.
On his part, Alpha Bah, a meat vendor appealed to the health personnel for negotiation, adding that recently they [meat sellers] went to Essau Hospital to discuss with the health personnel regarding their business but they [meat sellers] were unfortunate to meet the health personnel.
“If you wants pour the meat because I will not appeal to you anymore,” he stated.
Tijan Gaye, who is a driver at the Barra car park, told The Voice that the confiscation of the foods items is a step in the right direction, saying that the vendors have been selling meat and loaves of bread without proper care for long time.
“Inappropriate care of the food items are risky for human health as it could cause disease outbreak, we cannot get good health if our foods are not clean,” he said.
Sheikh Jallow, a tour guard described the inspection and confiscation of the food items as an excellent move as he argued that the condition of meat and loaves of bread sold within that area is unspeakable.
“Sometimes, the vendors will mix fresh and remained foods and sell them to their customers. However, the health officers should speed-up as many people used to encounter stomach age as a result of eating bad foods,” he said.
Author: Sulayman Waan
