Public educated about meat safety
The program is aimed at educating people about the dangers of food-borne diseases caused by poor handling of meat products. “We are trying to go back to basics.
The City of Ekurhuleni launched a meat safety campaign at Ekurhuleni Fresh Produce Market in commemoration of World Food Safety Day.
The program is aimed at educating people about the dangers of food-borne diseases caused by poor handling of meat products.
“We are trying to go back to basics.
“And before we enforce the regulations on meat sellers we have to educate the public about how to transport meat, where to buy and how to cook it.
“We have found that people are quite receptive to our message,” explained Prince Molepo, from the department of environmental services.
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The metro has done this in conjunction with Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gauteng Department of Economic Development, South African Meat Industry Company and Food Safety Agency.
Molepo acknowledges that many people are looking for cheaper sources of meat.
“We still need to make sure that the meat is of good quality,” he added.
Some of the signs that alert consumers on the safety include the smell of the meat, colour, texture, and temperature gauges on the fridges used to store meat.
In addition, food retailers must have a certificate of acceptability issued by the city’s Department of
Environmental Health, to indicate their food handling compliance.
Molepo said the stakeholders involved in the campaign have a common interest which include the protection of the public, approved meat source, consumer protection, quality assurance as well as the protection of public health.
The campaign started on Wednesday, June 8 and will concluded on Friday.
The public is encouraged to report suspicious outlets to the department of environmental services on 011 999 8771.
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