H.C.C SAYS IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY & SAFETY IMPORTANT

The Honiara City Council says the food industry is growing and improving its safety is important in Honiara.

Chief Health Inspector George Titiulu told a radio talk show today, ensuring food hygiene will eliminate food safety issues, including illnesses related to food.

Mr Titiulu says food safety information will develop best practices to ensure cooked food sold in the market are safe for consumption.

He adds, knowledge and awareness about food safety will avoid sicknesses.

“There is need for us to alert ourselves to become aware of some of the importance of why we need to keep the food that we sell to people in the public in ensuring that they must be safe so that they cannot cause sickness.”

Meanwhile, the officer in charge for food safety at the Ministry of Health says, food safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Ethel Mapulo told the Honiara City Council talk radio show on food safety awareness today, food vending in Honiara streets has increased and it is a medium that can transfer illnesses if the food is not handled safely.

Mrs Mapulo also said food safety is a joint and shared responsibility between the consumer and the food provider.

“Food Safety is everyone’s responsibility, don’t assume that only a Health Inspector is responsible for food safety, no. It’s a joint and a shared responsibility between you as a food handler. Consumers if you notice something’s wrong you have all the right to go to the right authorities to report it and also the health or existing regulators are there to assist out, so don’t say it’s a one person responsibility but a shared one among us.”