Ghana needs to prioritise issues of food safety so as to make strides in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger, good health and well-being as well as affordable and clean energy.
Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Minister of Health, who made the call on Friday, said the country was currently faced with critical challenges in ensuring food safety.
Dr Agyemang-Manu was speaking at the 2019 Maiden World Food Safety Day Celebration Symposium in Accra on the theme: “Food Safety, everyone’s business.”
The Symposium is to identify and discuss pertinent food safety issues along the food chain, coming up with recommendations that responsible institutions can implement and reporting on them at the next World Food Safety Day.
On December 20, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250 proclaiming a World Food Safety Day.
He commended the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and its collaborator, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for organizing the symposium, where issues of food safety from farm to fork would be discussed.
He said the threat of foodborne disease to attainment of the SDG goals was huge, saying every citizen had a key role to play towards achieving the ultimate goal of food sustainability.
Besides, every stakeholder institution must be committed to implementing policies and legislations that support sustainable food systems.
The Minister said efforts have been made over the years towards achieving the goal of food safety, however, there was more to be done and together “we can achieve more.”
“So, as we look to the future, it is vital that we continue to strengthen food control systems,” he added.
Dr Agyemang-Manu said one particular area that the country must make a priority was overcoming food waste due to contamination.
He said as a country “we waste around one-third of the total food produced for human consumption due to poor storage, improper means of transportation and market practices such as adulteration.”
He called on experts to deliberate on and come out with recommendations that were implementable and not one meant for the books and shelves.
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