The Pro-Image Communications Consult, a social engineering agency that focuses on public education and human development, observed on Tuesday that the eating of junk food was a major contributing factor to the low life-expectancy of most Ghanaians.
According to Mr. Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the discovery of these junk foods has done the country a lot of harm, because it was sending people to their graves earlier than they were destined for.
The CEO made the remarks when he opened a two-day workshop for chop bar operators in the Central Region, under the theme, "Reducing the disease burden in Ghana; The role of the chop bar operator", in Cape Coast.
The workshop, which was organized by Pro-Image in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, would take the participants through topics on personal hygiene, healthy nutrition and good customer care.
It is being attended by over 200 operators in the industry.
He described as low the present life-expectancy rate of Ghanaians, which stood at 57 years, and pointed out that the country's local foods have medicinal values that needed to be promoted, but have been neglected in
preference to western "junk food" which are detrimental to health.
He further noted that chop bar operators served a large percentage of the Ghanaian populace as well as a considerable number of tourists, so they should concentrate on traditional cuisines which were more nutritious and desist from the use of foreign spices, which he called 'slow poisons'.
Mr. Nsarko said improved cooking practice and proper handling could enhance the health status of the individual, and deplored the in sanitary conditions under which some food items are kept, prepared and sold to the public.
He told the operators that they have a major role to play in reducing the disease burden in the country, urging them to actively participate in the workshop, to enable them improve their knowledge base in the food delivery industry.
The Mayor of Cape Coast, Mr. Anthony Egyir Aikins, urged the participants to observe simple hygienic practices such as the washing of
hands with soap and water after visiting the washroom, and also before handling food items.
He said the business of food operators is very crucial especially with the outbreak of the H1N1 disease in the country.
He described the workshop as very timely and important, and entreated participants to keep a clean working environment and always undergo health screening, to determine their health status to avoid the spread of communicable diseases.
The Central Regional Director of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr. Paul Owusu Nkansah, advised food operators to obtain operational licenses from his outfit and not from any individual who may extort monies from them.
He said plans were afoot for the setting up of a Tourism Fund, where food operators will be given loans to support their businesses and urged
them to cooperate to ensure its successful implementation.