Public Health Officers Destroy Food Items

By Sailu Bah The staff of the Public health office at the Serrekunda Health Center under the ministry of health and social welfare has conducted a massive destruction exercise of food items that health officers seized from food sellers in the Serrekunda market and food stores. These items were seized by the public health officers during their daily routine inspection of food establishments. The items seized by the public health officers were displayed at the Serrekunda health Center on Friday 23^rd October 2014. The Public Health officers invited the staff of the KMC cleansing services that picked the seized food items and took them to the dumpsite at Bakateh for final destruction and disposal. Gibril Gandoh Baldeh, the Public health desk officer at the SK Health Center in his statement said there are 33 different food items that were condemned and most of them were expired and some were not labeled to show production or expiry dates. “However, some food items seized such as flour, tomatoes, baked beans, biscuits, vinegar, crunches, canned drinks, instant juices, and even clay stones, etc, amounts from hundreds of cartons to few tins and sachets of foods stuff, not fit for human consumption and increase risk of morbidity and mortality among the population,” he revealed. Mr. Baldeh noted that they would ensure that all foods that are paraded for sale would be fit for human consumption. YasinTouray, a Senior Nurse in Charged of the Serrekunda H/C , welcomed everyone at the occasion especially the media. “We are located at a strategically located area not far from the market and vendors, that is why our public health officers always go round to inspect food vendors and businessmen to see what they are selling to the people,” she explained.]]>