ZABS develops market hygiene standards
By NATION REPORTER WE have developed and published market standards that will complement the efforts of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing in maintaining high levels of hygiene in public markets, Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Technical Services Director Margaret Lungu has disclosed.
In a statement issued to the Daily Nation yesterday, Ms Lungu explained that the operational and hygienic requirements for public markets had been approved by the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry.
Ms Lungu said various interventions had been put in place by the Government to help curb the cholera pandemic and prevent any future outbreaks adding that one of the interventions was the increased sensitization on hygiene practices in public markets.
“Therefore, to compliment these efforts, the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry directed ZABS as the National Standards Body, to develop a standard for operational and hygienic requirements for public markets,” Ms Lungu said.
She said the Minister of Local Government Vincent Mwale recently announced the signing of a contract which will see markets being built around the country and he reiterated the need for cleanliness in trading places.
Ms Lungu said as ZABS they were confident that once the standard was implemented in all market places, consumers would be guaranteed of food products being presented in a clean and safe environment.
“Some of the requirements found in the standard include cleaning and sanitation, waste management, general food hygiene and pest control among others.
“The standard for operational and hygienic requirements for public markets has been developed through a consultative fast track process by the Technical Committee on Food Safety due to the urgency in having the standard in place that will help in mitigating the cholera pandemic and any further outbreak,” Ms Lungu said.
She said that the public markets in the country had continued to be a place of interface between consumers and traders with various food products being sold such as fruits, vegetables and meat products.