Accra, June 23. GNA- The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has expressed concerns over the drying of key ingredients used in the preparation of “Tuo Zaafi” on pavements.
It said as part of its surveillance activities, it noted the unhealthy practice of drying corn and cassava flour used for the preparation of ‘’Tuo Zaafi’’ on some pavements along the Kanda Highway in Accra and described the act as worrying.
The Authority, in a news brief, said the practice exposed the flour to dust and other contaminants.
“ A visit by FDA officers to the location in March 2023 revealed that this unhealthy practice is being used by both market women and millers to remove any form of moisture from the flour for effective storage,” it said in the brief.
The Authority said initial engagements with market women and millers on site showed that they were oblivious to the potential health hazards associated with the practice.
It said while on site, it sensitised the market women and millers on the harmful effects of such practices.
The Authority said it had also engaged Assembly members and other stakeholders to help stop the practice.
“This, like many other food safety measures, requires collective efforts and we all ought to join in the fight to end this menace and avoid any future outbreak of food-borne diseases,” it said.
GNA