The Authority seeks to engage food vendors to ensure compliance to food safety and hygiene in the preparation of food for public consumption after which vending permits would be issued to them.

“No Street Food Vending Permit, No Business”, is the main theme chosen to drive the campaign which was launched last year at the national level.

As part of the awareness creation about the initiative, workers of the FDA embarked on a float through the principal streets of Kumasi during which they spoke to street food vendors about the permit.

Led by the Regional Head of the Authority, Mrs. Nora Narkie Terlarbie, the officials took time to explain the importance of the permit and the need to embrace the policy for the good of society.

They also distributed flyers with information of the registration process and the benefits of the exercise amid loud music and funfair.

Mrs Terlarbie, in an interview with the media, said the FDA had the mandate to protect the public from consuming unwholesome food.

She said the permit was another measure being introduced by the FDA to check activities of street food vendors in the interest of public safety in collaboration with the Environmental Health Department.

The Regional Head noted that people were bound to patronize street food for one reason or the other hence it was imperative for the Authority to ensure foods were prepared under hygienic conditions.

She said mobile food hawkers would not be left out, adding that the FDA would take steps to inspect where they prepare their food to determine their eligibility to sell food to the public.

She called for the cooperation of all stakeholders to support the FDA to sanitize the system to promote public health.