Zimbabwe - CCZ calls for regulation of food vending
24 Dec 2007
The Herald (Harare)
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe was cited as urging government and local authorities to strengthen the implementation of sanitary laws governing food vending in the country as such vending poses a health hazard to the public. CCZ deputy director Mrs. Rosemary Mpofu was cited as telling delegates at a recent workshop to strengthen food safety and quality systems among small to medium enterprises that the purpose of the meeting was to clarify roles of regulatory authorities such as municipalities and councils in the implementation of food safety programmes. Mrs. Mpofu said national regulations and council by-laws needed to be implemented in line with international standards. Food and Agriculture Organisation official Mr David Mfote said the United Nations agency would continue to work with Government to help strengthen food control systems in the country and to improve the quality of food sold on streets.

Uganda - Grinding mill products cause cancer - study
10 Nov 2007
Daily Monitor News - RICHARD WANAMBWA
Consumption of groundnuts, maize, cassava chips, soybeans and millet processed by local grinding mills could lead to cancer, a USAID funded research done by Makerere University has shown. Dr. Archileo Kaaya, a senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the university, conducted the research from 2000-2007 across the country. The research measures the quantity in terms of parts per billion (ppb) or microgrammes. The report shows that while developed countries have the capacity to handle the aflatoxins intake by their people, it was worse in developing countries because they have no capacity to detect the recommended Aflatoxins intake. Aflatoxins are chemicals produced by fungi known as Aspergillus flavus. When contaminated food is cooked, the fungi will be killed but not the toxins because they are heat stable, thus causing cancer. Aflatoxins are dangerous and may cause diseases such as liver cancer when these particles collect around the liver. Other sicknesses among children include retard growth and immune suppression. Dr Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services confirmed the findings.
Source Kimera Henry Richard, Chief executive, Consumer Education Trust (consent), gpo box 1433, kampala - uganda

Ghana – Food and its preparation conditions in hotels in Accra, a concern for food safety
2007
Kennedy K. Addo*1, Gloria I. Mensah1, Christian Bonsu1 and Moses L. Akyeh1
1Bacteriology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana.
Abstract Although a lot of work has been done on the safety of street foods in most developing countries, not much has been done with regards to the hotel industry. A pilot study to investigate food and its preparation conditions in ten selected hotels in Accra, the capital of Ghana with respect to food safety was therefore initiated in 2005/2006. A total of 184 samples; 105 swabs of kitchen working surfaces, cutlery and plates; 29, 30, and 20 samples of food, water and fruit juice respectively were taken for microbial analysis from ten highly patronized hotels between December 2005 and June 2006. Standard microbiological methods were used for isolation, enumeration, and identification of bacteria.
Thirty Seven (37) of the swab samples showed the presence of coliforms while Escherichia coli was absent in all the 105 samples. The total count of aerobic bacteria was high in the swabs from the working surfaces and cutting boards (> 103 cfu/ml). All the food samples tested negative for Salmonella, Staphylococcus and E. coli. Coliforms and E. coli were not detected in any of the 30 water samples tested, Ten of the fruit juice samples tested positive for coliforms although E. coli was absent in all the 20 samples. Most of the swabs that registered the presence of coliforms were from chopping boards, pastry and working tables suggesting that the method of cleaning these surfaces should be improved. The microbial quality of all the food samples tested was satisfactory with aerobic colony counts of less than 104 cfu/g and no pathogens detected in 25g of food sample, which is the standard for ready to eat foods. The water samples also met the satisfactory criteria of no coliforms detected in 100mls of water. No pathogens were detected in the fruit juice samples, but with the exception of ginger juice, all were contaminated with coliforms which suggests that, stringent measures be applied in the preparation and handling of these juices.
As a result of this study staff and management of these hotels are now implementing Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

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