Traditional caterers (chop bar operators) have been urged to observe high standards of hygiene to prevent their food from getting contaminated.
They were also cautioned against recycling leftover foods which was a major source of food poisoning worldwide.
Speaking at a day’s sensitisation programme organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority last Friday in Sunyani, Dr Patricia Owusu-Darko, a food scientist at the Kumasi Technical University, said about 250,000 people die annually through food poisoning.
The participants, numbering about 70, were taking through topics such as food safety and hygiene, food and beverage service and book keeping.
The nationwide programme, she said, was aimed at equipping traditional caterers to offer better services to their clients, especially tourists and visitors who visit the countryside.
Dr Owusu-Darko further advised the participants to prioritise sanitary condition within their immediate environment, so as to prevent bacteria and other pathogens from getting into their food, and also ensure that their staff wear protective clothing.
The acting Bono Regional Manager of the GTA, Mr Joseph Appiah Agyei, addressing the participants, entreated them to always avail themselves to training offered by the Authority, so as to enhance their trade and boost tourism traffic to the country.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
