Health precautions when consuming wagashi available for street sale
- Posted on 25/09/2024 13:23
- Film
- By abelozih@sante-education.tg
Extract from the article: A prized food in the West African sub-region, particularly in Togo, wagashi is made from cow's milk, and prepared according to traditional Peul culinary techniques, without the addition of any chemical additives or enhancers. This delicious cheese is
A
prized food in the West African sub-region, particularly in Togo, wagashi is
made from cow's milk, and prepared according to traditional Peul culinary
techniques, without the addition of any chemical additives or enhancers. This
delicious cheese is brandished along Route Nationale 1 (from the town of Mango
to Tsévié), sold fried or fresh by our valiant women traders.
Although
wagashi is an excellent local product, the absence of official supervision of
its marketing on public roads can sometimes lead to a relaxation of good
hygiene practices, both by traders and consumers (customers). Indeed, wagashi may be exposed to flies, road
dust and machine smoke in the open air, without protection. In addition, many
customers handle the product with unwashed hands, exposing the cheese to
microbial contamination. Consuming such an exposed product can lead to
digestive problems such as diarrhea and vomiting.
To
avoid these illnesses, we must all be aware of our responsibility to safeguard
our health, and both consumers and retailers have their part to play in
observing good hygiene practices. Consumers play a crucial role in food safety
by making informed choices about the products they buy. Some precautions we
could take would be to avoid handling the wagashi before purchase, buy from
saleswomen with good sales hygiene and well-preserved cheese, and if possible
cook or heat the wagashi at destination before consumption.
Consumer
responsibility and awareness
We
are all encouraged to play our part in improving food hygiene in our country.
This is one of the missions that the NGO Vétérinaires Sans Frontières-Suisse
(VSF-Suisse) has set itself in collaboration with the NGO GEVAPAF (Gestion de
l'Environnement et Valorisation des Produits Agro Forestiers). VSF-Suisse works
in the field with its partners to improve hygiene practices in the production
and marketing of wagashi in Togo. The organization is committed to raising
awareness and training wagashi processors, particularly in the prefectures of
Oti, Oti-Sud and Kpendjal. These efforts are part of the project entitled
“Wagashi sain pour une Optimisation des revenus des Ménages Exploitant le lait
local au Nord Togo” (WOMEN), supported by ECOWAS and the Swiss Cooperation.
Elom
AKAKPO
