The initiative was part of the “My Healthy Baker” programme designed to improve the well-being of bakers and ensure food safety within the communities they serve.

Under the “Get Screened, Know Your Health Status” campaign, which is part of the “My Healthy Baker” programme launched in 2022, a total of 15 health screening drives have been conducted within the Tema and Ashaiman townships, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Alajo, all in Accra, and some locations in Kumasi.

These are conducted by medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians.

Along with the health screening, participants are educated on good hygiene practices to ensure that optimal food safety standards were maintained at their respective bakeries.

Bakers who have successfully passed the health screening checks are issued with food handling certificates by the local authorities, certifying their suitability to handle food.

Initiative

"This initiative is part of our commitment to promote health and safety in our communities," said Baibhav Biswas, Head of Olam Agri’s grain business in Ghana.

He added that regular health screenings and education on food safety practices could help to ensure that the bakers were in good health , saying it was an important factor to food safety.

Olam Agri has, over the years, initiated programmes along this vein, including the “Bakers’ Conference”, which is a stakeholder engagement initiative designed to establish constant communication and direct engagement with bakers across the country on issues relating to their businesses and to create a platform to jointly brainstorm for solutions.

The business also organises a series of training programmes for bakers focusing on how to efficiently use their products for different baking purposes while reducing costs.

Commissioned in 2012 by the late President John Evans Atta Mills, the business sources wheat grains from around the world to produce different types of wheat flour for different baking purposes, both for the local market and export to neighbouring Francophone countries.

With a strong focus on food safety and a continuing commitment to quality, the business has invested in high-quality infrastructure and competent human resources to ensure the production of quality products that are able to meet local demands and international standards.

Some of the main flour brands produced by the company include First Choice, Royal Gold, and Vital.