Hygiene at food stalls questioned<\/p>\n
By T. Sima Gunawan<\/p>\n
ISTANBUL, Turkey (JP): They may be mouthwatering, but food
\nsold by sidewalk vendors and the foodstuffs at marketplaces in
\nbig cities like Jakarta may not be hygienic and, therefore,
\nhazardous to your health, United Nations health experts said.<\/p>\n
Food hygiene was extensively discussed at a session here on
\nFriday, part of the ongoing UN Conference on Human Settlements
\n(Habitat) II, which will end on June 14.<\/p>\n
Experts said that improvement in hygiene, particularly
\nrelating to food, is crucial in any discussion on urban
\ndevelopment in developing countries.<\/p>\n
World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Hiroshi
\nNakajima, said in an interview with Indonesian journalists on
\nFriday that hygienic principles should be applied on food sold by
\nstreet vendors.<\/p>\n
Health education is important for the street vendors so that
\nthey can become health conscious, Nakajima said.<\/p>\n
City administrators should be careful in their approach when
\ndealing with urban problems related to health because every city
\nhas its own problems.<\/p>\n
\"The dimensions of a megacity like Jakarta are different from
\nthose of an industrialized country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Health and education should become high priorities for
\nJakarta's urban development, he added.<\/p>\n
WHO is also concerned with food safety at marketplaces.<\/p>\n
\"A healthy marketplace is a key ingredient of a healthy city,\"
\nWHO food safety scientist Gerald Moy said in a background paper
\npresented at the session.<\/p>\n
In developing countries, marketplaces frequently appear
\nspontaneously and evolve without much planning or any
\nconsideration for food safety, Moy said.<\/p>\n
Worse, basic health infrastructure, such as water supply,
\nsanitation and solid waste disposal, is frequently inadequate and
\nleads to widespread contamination of food, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Markets may be colorful sights. The trouble is that the food
\nsold in them is often not clean and consequently not safe,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to his paper, four types of food hazards are found
\nin urban markets.<\/p>\n
* The food becomes unsafe during preparation and\/or during
\ntransport and is sold without inspection or control.<\/p>\n
* The food becomes unsafe while in the market, due to improper
\nhandling or storage.<\/p>\n
* While it is in the market, the food is contaminated by poor
\nenvironmental conditions.<\/p>\n
* Food can be adulterated by the vendors, leading to health
\nand nutritional problems for the customers.<\/p>\n
WHO has established pilot projects in Nigeria and Tanzania to
\ndeal with such problems. The results of the projects are expected
\nto spread around the world, especially in developing countries.<\/p>\n
Health and city authorities in developing countries should
\nmake food markets cleaner, safer and more attractive with simple
\nbut appropriate technologies, Moy said.<\/p>\n
\"This spread will be mostly in developing countries, but not
\nexclusively. Europeans love their outdoor markets, too. It's just
\nthat since they are richer than African, Latin American and many
\nAsian populations, they can apply the necessary measures to
\nensure the sale of safe food in hygienic markets,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hygiene-at-food-stalls-questioned-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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