How safe is street vended food?

Government has decided to repeal, re-enact, consolidate and amend the current Food Control Act of 1993 to harmonise it with the existing climate of universal food safety for all and economic food industry liberalisation.

The review process will involve and affect all stakeholders involved in the food chain supply from suppliers, restaurant owners, street vendors and individual cooks.

Consultation with the relevant stakeholders is still ongoing with government harmonising all the related procedures critical to general food safety.
During a stakeholders’ consultative meeting, participants spoke of the need to enact an improved Food Act that caters for the interests of members of the public and other economic stakeholders.

Technical Director for Food Intelligence at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuri Gras told the meeting that many people had lost their lives due to food poisoning and diseases caused by improper preparation of food.

She said the government of Botswana was faced with a huge task of not only reviewing the Food Act but also ensuring that it is implemented, adding that involving all the relevant stakeholders, including street vendors, was a good start. She added that government should invest in a few laboratories where food coming into the country can be tested.

Over the past few years, concern has been raised over hygiene practices in food preparation as well as the type of condiments and ingredients, some of which may harm one's health. To date the Ministry of Health is grappling with an increase in non-communicable diseases (largely cancer, diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure) of which diet and lifestyles are major contributing factors.

The Minister of Health, Dorcas Makgato asserted the ministry’s commitment to improving food safety systems in Botswana and engaging the various stakeholders. “Street-vended food for example is a source of ready-made food for many consumers.

However, it can pose a health hazard if the necessary foods safety processes are not followed. To address this, my Ministry with the participation of other relevant stakeholders will develop a food safety policy guideline for street-vended foods. The intention would be to safeguard public health as well as address food poisoning related to mishandling of food,” she said.  

Makgato added that the development of comprehensive food legislation was ongoing in order to build institutional technical capacity within the ministry of Health and that this process would result in the establishment of a National Food Safety Authority that will coordinate all food control, management and safety issues.