Cheaper foods are not necessarily safer – Health Minister

Aug 13, 2009 News

“Food could never be cheaper if it carries the risk of making you sick and killing you,” said Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, when he spoke of the dangers associated with the purchase of some food items yesterday.
He emphasised that there could be no good reason to seek cheaper and risky foods adding that such action under the guise of saving a few dollars “simply makes no sense.”
The Minister said that there is news circulating around the country that some food products are being marketed without being properly labelled.
Some of the unacceptable products, he noted, are not labelled in English thus are in contravention of the lawful requirements.
“When the state comes in and seizes these non-English labelled goods, the state is not being the bad guy and we are not corrupt…We are doing what we are mandated to do and what is necessary for the safety of the people so that they can live long, healthy lives.”
But though the state can make the law to govern the type of foods imported, Dr Ramsammy noted that the state can never fully be able to enforce the law.
He speculated that in order to have a 100 percent enforcement rate, the state would in fact be tasked with hiring persons to be at every sale outlet on a daily basis, a feat that is not feasible.
He said that the law can only work well when citizens accept that they also have a responsibility.
“If the food is not labelled in English, don’t buy it…you can’t simply blame the state. The law only works well when the state and citizens work together. The citizens are the eyes and ears of the state,” added the Minister.
He further urged that citizens pay attention to the expiration date of food items. According to him, foods packaged in cans, bottles and packets should always have an expiration date that must comply with regulations. And though every attempt is made to monitor products’ lifespan, the Minister noted that citizens still have a responsibly to check for the expiration date before making a purchase.
“When you pay for a product you have to ensure that what a vendor is selling complies with the shelf life. If you don’t look at that you are not only letting the state down but you are putting your life and your family, often time children, at risk.”
And given the fact that food is important for the development of children, in order for them to become healthy adults, it is therefore urgent that they have an adequate amount and the appropriate kind, said Dr Ramsammy.
He further pointed to the importance and indispensible nature of food to life— like oxygen. “Unless we are careful we will create an unsafe environment and the very thing we need to sustain life will kill us,” he argued.
The Minister highlighted, though, that there no guarantee that the major issue of food safety will improve unless efforts are engaged to educate the public.
According to the Minister, sometimes the simple act of handling foods in the home can be reckless, a situation that can be most effectively addressed if people are enlightened through proposed education programmes.
Outside of the responsibility of individuals, he noted that the regulatory arm of the state will continue to have a mandate to be strong and to remain rigid when it comes to the safety of the people.
According to the Health Minister, “If we are going to achieve the goal of people living long, healthy, productive lives, in which they are able to attain their lives’ potential, then we have to create a safe and healthy environment.”

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Cheaper foods are not necessarily safer – Health Minister

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