Food handlers awarded hygiene certificates

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Extract from the article: Nineteen (19) food handlers received their hygiene certificates on 24 March 2023, after a long process on good hygiene practices to be adopted in their catering area. The ceremony took place in the presence of the Country Director of Veterinarian....

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Nineteen (19) food handlers received their hygiene certificates on 24 March 2023, after a long process on good hygiene practices to be adopted in their catering area. The ceremony took place in the presence of the Country Director of Veterinarians Without Borders (VSF-Switzerland), Dr. Geraud Hellow, and the representative of the Health Control and Inspection Division, Dowouta Mikénayema.  This handover is part of the implementation of the project "Economic development of the small ruminant meat sector (DEFI-Viande)", co-financed by ECOWAS and the Swiss Cooperation. The aim is to contribute to the improvement of healthy meat consumption in Lomé.

After one year of theoretical and practical training and monitoring by the competent authorities, these restaurant owners, butchers and roasters from Lomé were awarded hygiene certificates. They were congratulated and encouraged for their good standards and hygiene rules adopted in food catering.  "After a theoretical and practical training, it was a question of doing a follow-up at the level of the restaurants to check if these handlers have really assimilated what was done at the time of the training. Hygiene technicians followed them during these months. In order to obtain the hygiene certificate, a certain number of practices are required, grouped into five points: raw materials, materials, labour and finally the preparation method. If all this is well followed, then the handler is valid for the hygiene certificate," explained Dowouta Mikénayema, a sanitary engineer at the division of sanitary control and inspection at the ministry in charge of health and public hygiene. 

Even though they were aware of some of the poor hygiene practices that are dangerous to health, many of them did not appreciate the consequences. "There are many things I was not aware of. Through this training and the follow-up by the hygiene technicians, we learned a lot. I understood that a certain number of good hygiene practices are necessary for myself, my colleagues and also for my customers," said Kedji Honoré, a restaurant owner in Lomé. 

In Togo, the streets of the big cities are lined with small tables and benches where people sit to have a quick and cheap meal. But it is noticed that these street restaurants lack hygiene. It is in this context that the project "Economic development of the small ruminant meat sector (DEFI-Viande)" has been implemented. "Through this project, we want to contribute to the improvement of the consumption of healthy meat and also bring good hygienic practices to the level of food handlers, in order to preserve the health of the consumer and thus contribute to the protection of public health", underlined the Country Director of VSF-Switzerland, Dr. Géraud Hellow.

Interest of the hygiene certificate

 In the food sector, a health certificate is any document that attests to the good health of any person preparing or selling food in order to avoid direct or indirect contamination of food. It is usually drawn up by a doctor who verifies the person's ability to handle food after a medical examination. The health certificate usually states: "Fit to handle food".

The hygiene certificate is an important tool for food handlers to play an important role in ensuring food safety throughout the production, processing, storage and preparation chain. The hygiene certificate is issued by the control and sanitary inspection division and is valid for six (06) months.

Raymond DZAKPATA