FOOD SAFETY: COMPULSORY HEALTH SCREENING FOR ACU FOOD VENDORS

In order to ensure food safety and hygiene on the campus, all food vendors operating within the premises of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, have been asked to undergo health screening as the University prepares for the resumption of fresh students for academic activities.

The development was announced on Tuesday (September 19, 2023) by the Acting Director of Research, Innovations, and Linkages, Dr. Afolake Olanbiwonninu, who is also the Chairman of the Catering Services Committee, during a workshop organized by the University for all food vendors operating in the school.

Olambiwoninu told the vendors that the workshop became vital so as to emphasize the importance of food hygiene and safety to the health of students and staff in ACU.

Present at the workshop were the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Roland Isibor; Director of Health Services, Dr. J.B. Ayejumo; Secretary of Parents’ Forum, Dr. Stephen Solanke, who is also the Acting Dean, Faculty of Humanities; a staff of Postgraduate School, Dr. A.A. Afonja; vendors within the school vendors; and Environmental Health Officers.

In her speech, Dr. Olanbiwoninu said the workshop, in its third edition, has been an important tradition ahead of the resumption of the new session in the University, having also become an avenue to instill hygiene discipline and standards among food vendors in the University.

She said, “This event comes up ahead of the resumption of students to remind ourselves of the importance of hygiene to the school as we prepare for the resumption of students in the next few days.”

She noted that the University has decided to carry out the health check on all those involved in preparing and serving food in the school to resonate with the high hygiene standard being set.

“All vendors will be subjected to HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C checks henceforth. The cost for each test is highly subsidized by the school management such that each vendor only has to pay a token.

“As for waste management around the canteen and within the campus, I will implore vendors to make use of waste bags so that we can deal with waste spillage from the waste storage bin and make the job easy for waste managers to evacuate.

“I will also implore the vendors to use disposable caps and gloves during preparation and serving of food to customers to forestall all manners of unhygienic act.”

While acknowledging the high cost of food in the market, Olanbiwoninu emphasized the importance of creativity on the part of the vendors so that the students can still enjoy varieties of food range for a balanced diet on the menu.

In his welcome address, Isibor stated that the workshop was essential to the health of the University community, stressing that any harm done to the students through possible food poisoning is harmful to the whole university population.

He said, “Students are the major consumers of the vendors’ products. Consequently, their health is important to the school management especially the Dean of Students’ office and all those saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring food safety on the campus. It is important to note that any harm done to a student is harm to the university. Therefore food hygiene and safety are important to the school; the way food is prepared, preserved, served, and consumed are areas we should give utmost attention.”

While allaying fears of foreign food materials getting into the campus, Isibor said the University management had taken the necessary steps to ensure that food consumed by the community is monitored strictly.

In a lecture she delivered at the workshop, Dr. Mrs Fasogbon enlightened the vendors on the importance of paying attention to every detail in food production.

She said, “It starts from personal hygiene to environmental hygiene. We need to keep our environment clean to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and lead a long and healthy life.”

Also at the workshop, Mrs. B.T. Abiola, an environmental health officer, appealed to the vendors to work with the school management so that all obstacles threatening the realization of food safety can be addressed appropriately.

On their part, the vendors bared their minds on issues they considered militating against their services, while Dr. Isibor and Dr. Olambiwoninu promised that all the issues raised would be addressed before the students arrived on the campus for the new academic session.