Dra. Llanto leads inspection of night market for food safety

Last February 3, City Health Officer Dra. Basilisa M. Llanto leads the initial inspection of all food handlers that are working in the Night Market.

According to Dra. Llanto, she decided to make the initial inspection together with the staff of Environmental Health and Sanitation Division to check if all food handlers are complying on PD 856 or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines. This is also one way of checking the rumors that the food being

sold here are unsafe and exposed to various pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

Upon inspection, several food handlers were reminded to observe good personal hygiene and practices such as: wearing clean working garment and hair restraint; clean hands, arms and fingernails before working. Also, those who failed to show their health certificates were ordered to comply with the requirements prior to the issuance of individual certificates.

“Unsafe food causes acute and lifelong diseases that range from diarrhea to various forms of cancer wherein more than 200 diseases are reported being spread by food contamination,” said Dra. Llanto who ordered a follow-up inspection scheduled this month of February.

Meanwhile, there will be a schedule of consecutive seminars for food handling which will start on first quarter of 2012 to generate greater awareness on food safety.