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The Lagos State government has moved to put measures in place that will check food and water contamination in eateries, restaurants and hotels.
This is as it has charged stakeholders in the hospitality industry to embrace the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and certification for quality assurance.
HACCP is a management system that gives a systematic preventive approach to food safety, from biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material to identify where hazards may occur and design measures to reduce the risks.
Speaking at a sensitisation meeting for food, water, beverage handling establishments in Lagos, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, noted that food safety had become a major concern to the food industry.
“Food and water prepared, served at the restaurants, eateries, hotels and those processed in factories may look clean and taste delicious, but may have been contaminated by biological, chemical or physical hazards during the preparation procedures from the source through to service,” he said.
Onanuga noted that HACCP is a tool that gives a holistic approach to food safety for consumption, stressing that the system should be in place in every food, water, beverage organisation to protects the consumer from harm that could result from any form of hazards.
“The Ministry of Health adopted HACCP Initiative in the first quarter of 2017 and till date over 106 HACCP Plans have been submitted,” Onanuga stated.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi, said the essence of the meeting was to sensitise food, water and beverage-based establishments on the importance and having an understanding of the HACCP initiative as well as to foster and promote the adoption of the HACCP system in their organisations.
She added that the meeting also aimed at emphasising the relationship between good hygiene practices and the HACCP systems as well as gain management commitment to the promotion of food safety and hygiene.
