No resident or visitor contracting a food borne illness.
Mission To prevent food borne illness by educating all food-handlers in proper food-handling techniques.
Overview Access to safe food is the right of each individual and is an important condition for good health. Consumers should feel secure that the food they buy has been prepared using proper food handling techniques and procedures. However, food borne illnesses remain one of the major public health problems.
In 2001, through its National Health Surveillance Committee, the Ministry of Health adopted changes in its approach to food safety. Scientific studies suggested that more emphasis needed to be placed on education in sound food safety methods, rather than whether or not food handlers had any communicable disease.
The new perspective was supported by other health organizations, like WHO and PAHO, which accepted that medical examinations, including lab analysis of patient specimens, were not necessarily valid beyond the period of actual testing and examination. These bodies further advised that consumers may be better safeguarded by increasing the education given to food handlers, as well as strictly regulating food handling practices and hygiene.
Understanding the basics of food safety is essential for preventing food borne illnesses and for ensuring a safe food supply. Therefore, training and education of all food handlers (as well as nursery and nursing home personnel) is critical in the fight against food borne illness.
The Basic Food Safety Course focuses on strategies to avoid or minimize food from becoming contaminated, thus preventing food-borne illnesses. The importance of proper storage, prevention of cross-contamination and good personal hygiene is emphasized. The Ministry of Health is satisfied that if food safety education is meticulously implemented, it would afford a higher level of security within the food service sector and the country as a whole. <<see more>>
Contact Us
Poncianna Hill Building, Meeting Street
P. O. Box N-3730
Nassau, The Bahamas
Telephone: 502-4700, Fax: 502-4874
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