adminJohn Murwira Correspondent
Chefs in the local hospitality industry have called on food outlets to implement the Hazard Analysis Critical Point (HACCP), which emphasises on heightened food monitoring from preparation to consumption, in order to prevent cholera. HACCP involves monitoring food from the source, transportation, storage, preparation and consumption.
In an interview at the Chef Culinary Conference which ended on Saturday, Chinhoyi University Hotel general manager Mr Innocent Manyera, who is also a member of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ), urged chefs and stakeholders in local food processing industries to effectively implement the HACCP to make sure food was safe from source up to when it would be ready for consumption.
“As chefs, we are in full support of Government’s efforts in fighting cholera and typhoid in the country and we are urging all people who are in the food industry to effectively implement HACCP as that will make sure our food is safe from the source up to where it reaches consumption point,” he said.
Mr Manyera said there was need to continually assess the standards from where food is sourced from. Storage facilities, he saPd, also need to be monitored to avoid food contamination.
“Food preparation itself also needs to be done effectively as failure to safely prepare the dishes may affect consumers, exposing them to issues like food poisoning,” he said.
Mr Manyere said the chefs would undergo training in the fight against cholera. Mr Leonard Moyo, who is an executive chef at Legacy Monomutapa, urged food outlets across Zimbabwe to take hygiene issues seriously.
“Each and every person who will be dealing with food must take hygiene as a top priority, making sure your working environments are disease-free,” he said. Since the beginning of the month, Zimbabwe has recorded about 65 cases of cholera and four deaths — all in Chegutu — while more than 2 200 typhoid cases have been recorded in Harare since October last year.
Online Reporter