THE ENVIRONMENT Ministry Of Health and Sanitation Destroys Expired Food Items in Sierra Leone Posted by on Jun 24, 2009, 18:13

A Consignment of expired assorted food items worth millions of Leones were this morning destroyed at the compound of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department in Freetown Sierra Leone.The food items were voluntarily declared by the importers after an intensive Inspection tour of suspected shops and warehouses in the western area by a vigilant Team of Environmental Health and Sanitation Officers.

The Acting Chief Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer, Mr. Thomas Amara told this reporter during the destruction ceremony. Spareheading the ceremony at the destruction site, the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, who performed the symbolic burning, described the move to protect the populace and the environment from expired foodstuffs as an intervention to save lives, noting that the items destroyed could be treacherous to human resource development.

He warned the Business Community, especially importers of drugs and food items to desist from importing substandard, counterfeit and items nearing expiring date to desist from such importation and the sale of such commodities if they are to complement the Ministry’s effort in providing quality health care delivery services for the entire Sierra Leone population. Mr. Koroma reiterated that defaulters would now have to face the full penalty of the law and encouraged the Environmental Health and Sanitation Officers in the Ministry to redouble their efforts.

In another development, the Deputy Minister after an Inspection of two containers of rotten onions, potatoes and eggs, held an emergency meeting with the Management of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority for the immediate removal of the containers to any of the dump field site. The Deputy Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the long standing offensive odor that has been posing health hazards to workers at the Quay as well as clients on business at the Port. He noted according to Port Health Staff, that the Owners of the Container MAERSK Line, after several approach, still could not execute the disposal of the food items, and urged Management to help save the situation.