APFSAN Trains 50 Street Food Vendors In Kebbi

From Samaila Bayo

The Association for the Protection of Food Safety and Nutrition, APFSAN has trained 50 street food vendors in Kebbi State on how to optimize hygienic practices for the safe handling of food against diseases.

While Speaking to a newsman on the 2 Day capacity building for street food vendors in the state, Kebbi State Coordinator of APFSAN, Dr. Yusuf Abdulrahman Bashir said the objective of the training was to provide street food vendors with basic knowledge on best practices for safe handling of foods.

He said "We expect that by the end of this training, every participant will be able to uphold optimal hygienic practices for safe handling of foods.

"At the end, we would be able to ensure that street food vendors in Kebbi State can now give safer and more nutritious foods to consumers". He stressed that any food that's not safe cannot be considered as nutritious.

The APFSAN coordinator said this was not the first time the association has been building the capacity of street food vendors in Kebbi State, "we have in the past trained vendors that deal in cereal, legumes, green leave vegetables, fish and meat sellers at Birnin Kebbi Central Market", he said.

Dr Bashir added that at this training, APFSAN is targeting vendors that sell ready-to-eat foods and have fixed or mobile stores/ restaurants because they are important stakeholders in the state on the safe handling of foods.

"We know that by building their capacity, we would help to prevent diseases that can be transmitted from foods sold to consumers.

"We want to ensure every consumer in Kebbi State gets the value for their money and they are eating safe and nutritious foods", Dr. Bashir said.

He said the association had targeted 40 participants but it got 80 street food vendors. "Out of this number, we are today training 50 of them for a 2-day capacity building on safe handling of foods".

A participant, Mrs. Grace Sunday Jibril told newsmen that she had learned at the training, how to keep her food safe. "I now know that I have to cut my nails and wash my hands before cooking safe and nutritious food. I also have to make my environment clean", she said.