The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has arrested a food vendor, Faustina Naana Eshien at the OA Bus Terminal in Accra for selling contaminated food.
The AMA in a statement said the arrest, conducted by the Public Health Department on Tuesday, followed a Facebook post by a user named Obaa Yaa Bediide on the ‘Trotro Diaries’ page.
The post revealed the discovery of the unwholesome food after Obaa Yaa Bediide purchased from the vendor. The vendor, in admission of guilt, explained that she decided to split the 20 Cedi cost of the chicken into two due to low patronage. Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Gilbert Ankrah, disclosed that Faustina Naana Eshien was arrested for selling spoiled fried chicken and for failing to obtain a medical health certificate.
These activities are in violation of the AMA bye-law and the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) Section 100(3), which prohibits selling or offering for sale unwholesome or unfit food, including food that is filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed, or diseased.
The vendor will face prosecution in court, to serve as a deterrent to potential offenders. Mr. Ankrah urged the public to demand a food handler’s certificate from food vendors before purchasing their products.
He also reminded food vendors in the metropolis to adhere strictly to the five keys to safer food: “keep clean, separate raw and cooked foods, cook food thoroughly, keep food at safe
temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.” He encouraged those without food handlers’ certification to obtain one by visiting the AMA or its sister Assemblies for screening, to ensure public safety.
Mr. Ankrah emphasized that Public Health officers would conduct regular checks on food vendors to ensure compliance with safety standards as prescribed by bye-laws and the public health act. He commended the whistle-blower for bringing the food vendor’s malpractices to light.
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