Oyo seals five bakeries, two eateries to avert food-borne epidemic

Concerned by the health implications of unwholesome foods, the Oyo State government has sealed off five bakeries and two eateries as well as penalised four other eateries in Ibadan for offences ranging from non-registration of the premises with the health ministry, unsanitary environment, and the use of not medically certified staff members to handle food for public consumption.

Director, Food, Water and laboratory Services, Mrs Afusat Akande, who led the team of inspectors to seal the bakeries and eateries, said the establishments were sealed after many visits and warnings to comply with regulations that govern food business in the state.

According to her, increasingly people now eat out and buy confectionaries and as such ensuring that these were wholesome for consumption the Oyo Health ministry intends to enforce sanctions based on the state’s 2012 regulation on food, water and related products.

She declared, “the department has to make sure that whatever we consume is wholesome, so we are out to enforce the 2012 regulation on food, water and related products; it is a major concern to the government.

“We have visited all these facilities several times, but unfortunately they remained recalcitrant. Anything that has to do with food and water for public consumption is our area of concern.

“Presently, as a country, we are faced with the issue of cholera. We are concerned about the quality of water they use in preparing the food. One of the bakeries we sealed today was sealed way back in 2013. An outbreak of Lassa fever was traced to it. Even today, the bakery is dirty as ever before, so we have to seal it.”

She said workers in food eateries, bakeries and other food businesses need to be certified medically fit to ensure that they are not carriers of food-borne germs.

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