Bad hygienic practices led to Marwako food poisoning: Food and Drugs Authority
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has released the findings of its inquiry into a recent outbreak of food poisoning at Marwako Foods’ East Legon branch.
According to the FDA, the incident was caused by poor cleanliness, improper storage, and microbial infestation.
The FDA stated in a statement released on Monday, June 13 that, based on its findings, the establishment failed to follow proper sanitary measures, resulting in widespread food illness reported by customers.
“Analysis of food samples, certain juice drinks, and items taken from the environment at Mawarko Fast Food Limited’s East Legon branch revealed a high microbial load (pathogens) that could be linked to the food borne sickness reported.”
It was also discovered that samples taken from the Abelenkpe and La branches were polluted. Parts of the statement said, “The levels of sanitation and hygiene in the food preparation sections of all three facilities were unsatisfactory.”
“It was also discovered that there were improper storage methods,” the FDA said in a statement. Deep freezers and refrigerators had temperatures that were much above the permissible ranges. The handling of ingredients used in cooking, as well as prepared and ready-to-eat food items, was also substandard.”
In its conclusions, the FDA bemoaned the lack of collaboration on the side of the restaurant’s management.
“The process of determining the underlying cause of the contamination has unfortunately been impeded by the unauthorised and unilateral action of Marwako Management to destroy some of the food products while the inquiry was in progress,” the FDA said.
The FDA has imposed the relevant regulatory penalty and is monitoring the management of Marwako Fast Foods’ execution of corrective and preventative actions (CAPA) to address all non-conformances found and prevent recurrence.”
“We wish to assure the public that we will continue to closely monitor all activities at Marwako Fast Foods Limited to guarantee compliance with the FDA’s guidelines and applicable regulatory standards,” the regulatory body said. Catering services are still unavailable at the facility. Any following developments would be communicated to the public.”
Background
Following multiple accusations of food poisoning on social media, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) shuttered the East Legon branch of Marwako restaurant on May 12, 2022.
The FDA announced in a tweet that the decision to close the restaurant was made to allow the Authority to investigate claims into public concerns.
Source: Myjoyonline/Fda
