Food safety checks intensified in Region 6

…45 food handlers sent for medical examinations, 359 animals inspected

Food sold to the public can become unsafe long before it reaches the consumer, with risks extending from production and slaughter to transportation, storage, preparation, and sale.
It is an issue that has been receiving increased attention in Guyana this year, with stronger surveillance, monitoring, and testing of food sold in markets and supermarkets among the areas identified for attention.
Environmental Health Officers in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have been inspecting animals slaughtered for human consumption, monitoring markets and slaughtering facilities and paying closer attention to persons responsible for handling food.
A report presented at Thursday’s statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) revealed that 45 food handlers were issued letters requiring them to undergo medical examinations for food safety purposes.
The report did not indicate that the persons were ill or had breached food-safety requirements, nor did it state the circumstances that resulted in the letters being issued.
Figures contained in the report show that 132 bovine, 128 porcine, 67 ovine, and 32 caprine animals were inspected, a combined total of 359 animals.
The inspections were carried out as officers continued monitoring animals slaughtered for human consumption at facilities across the region.
Among the locations receiving attention was the Number 79 Abattoir, while Environmental Health Officers also visited markets as part of efforts to monitor food being offered for sale.
The activities place officers at two important points in the movement of food to consumers, where animals are slaughtered and where food is eventually offered on the market.
Alongside inspections and monitoring, attention was also placed on persons who prepare and handle food.
Thirty-eight food handlers participated in a training programme at the Port Mourant Hospital Training Centre.
According to the report, the programme covered food safety, microbiology, sanitation, and food-safety legislation, providing participants with training in areas directly associated with the preparation and handling of food.
Certification activities were also carried out during the period.
Twenty-three food-handler permits were issued to new applicants, while another 39 were renewed.
A survey conducted during 2018-2019 at 55 food establishments in Regions Four and Six found shortcomings in several areas of food preparation and sanitation.
Among the findings, only 18 per cent of the establishments surveyed adequately protected food from contamination, while 11 per cent were found to be using safe practices for thawing meat. Testing conducted as part of that exercise also found 37 per cent of food samples to be unsatisfactory.
Those findings are historical and do not establish the present condition of food establishments in Region Six. They nevertheless indicate some of the food-handling challenges previously identified in the two regions and the reason continued monitoring, training and certification remain important components of the food-safety system.
The latest Region Six figures show that the current programme is operating at several levels.
There are inspections involving animals intended for consumption and visits to markets and slaughtering facilities. At the same time, food handlers are being medically examined, trained and brought within the permitting system.
For the reporting period, that translated into 359 animals inspected, 45 food handlers directed to undergo medical examinations, 38 persons trained, and 62 food handler permits either issued or renewed.
Those activities were among the environmental health work documented in the report presented to the RDC on Thursday, as officers continued monitoring the handling and sale of food across Region Six.