Message from the Minister of Health, Hon Dr. Frank Anthony on World Food Safety Day
Guyana joins the international community to observe World Food Safety Day on June 7 under the theme “Safe food for now for a healthy tomorrow”.
World Food Safety Day aims to draw attention and encourage action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
Through its various public health departments, the Ministry of Health (MOH) serves to ensure that every person has access to safe and nutritious food. This is very important to sustain life and promote good health. The Veterinary Public Health Unit (VPHU) seeks to promote human health by taking steps to minimize the risk of disease transmitted between animals and man and by food derived from animals.”
Over the years, the VPHU has maintained a risk management system used to check compliance of preparation/processing establishments, fishing vessels, landing sites, cold storage and ice-making facilities, etc., with local and international standards of food safety practices.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, we facilitated the trade of fish and fisheries product through inspection and certification of these products to ensure food safety and wholesomeness of the imported and exported food products (from animal sources).
Training sessions were provided for stakeholders such as establishment personnel, fisherfolk, farmers, environmental health assistants, butchers, food vendors and students, on regulation and standards for food safety requirements.
Despite the many challenges during this COVID-19 pandemic, we have begun to strengthen staff capacity through more employment to cater to the growing food industry. In addition, field office personnel are more equipped to carry out inspection, sampling and other responsibilities more efficiently.
Since the pandemic is not over, we continue to urge the public and all workers in this sector to get vaccinated and use personal protective equipment at the farm or in the processing plant, markets, retail outlets, restaurant, or any other place of production and sale. Only through our combined efforts of reducing the spread of Covid 19 would we be able to return to a level of normalcy.
The Ministry of Health will continue to support the Veterinary Public Health Unit efforts, ensuring that all fish and fisheries products for export, poultry meat and red meat for local consumers are wholesome for human consumption, and prevent the spread of foodborne pathogens can be harmful to human health.
As we observe World Food Safety Day, let’s diligently apply good agricultural practices at all production steps and adopt sustainable systems with improved hygiene, biodiversity, and stress-free handling of animals. Let us work together towards providing safe food for now and a healthy tomorrow.