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Contact:
Adhara King
Wednesday February 11, 2009 – Consumers will be the beneficiaries of an
initiative by the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) to promote food safety
on island.
The SLBS is set to launch a booklet entitled “ Preparing Food Safely: A Guide
for Consumers”.
With the new publication, the SLBS is expanding its reach to target not only
commercial food handlers, but also consumers who purchase food, and prepare food
for consumption in the household.
Head of the SLBS Certification Department, Betty Combie said, “The rationale
with regards to the creation of this booklet is to arm consumers with the
knowledge of safe food preparation. Food safety is everybody’s business. Unsafe
food can cause harm. The book was created with the guidelines provided by the
World Health Organization. There are five keys to food safety, and by using
those five keys, we expounded on requirements necessary in accordance with those
keys.”
This initiative puts power in the hands of the consumer, to recognize and follow
best practice in the preparation of food under safe and hygienic conditions.
The booklet is meant to complement the Food Certification Programme currently
being carried out by the SLBS to ensure food handlers adhere to specific food
safety standards.
“It’s a free publication. We have printed about one thousand copies plus an
electronic copy will be available on our website. Representatives from the
Ministry of Health, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the National Consumers
Association and the Ministry of Education are expected to be present at the
official launch of the booklet. For the Bureau, this is about educating
consumers on preparing food safely,” said Combie.
The booklet will be launched on Friday 13th February at the SLBS' office at the
Bisee Industrial Estate at 10:00am.
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