A food safety seminar for school canteen operators was held on December 18 at the Ocean View International Hotel and Convention Centre at Liliendaal.
The seminar was aimed at imparting to the canteen operators elements of food safety for food handlers, with the specific aim of preventing food borne illnesses in schools, a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
The seminar was organised by the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department, in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO).
The acting director of the Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department, Jewel Sears said that it is a legal requirement and moral responsibility of the handlers to participate in the seminar as part of a system of protecting their customers by ensuring food safety in schools.
The seminar included the basics of microbiology, food service illnesses and injuries, receiving and storing food, pathogenic contamination, preparing and serving food and cleaning and sanitising, GINA said.
Participants included operators from St Margaret’s, St Pius, Green Acres and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) canteens.
The food handlers also received their food handler’s identification cards at the seminar.
