BY SAMIE WAIKORI
THE Director of the National Public Health Laboratory has called on individuals and business houses to bring food to the laboratory for testing if they are uncertain of the health status of the food.
Mr Dickson Manongi made the appeal in an interview yesterday stressing the importance of food safety that people need to understand.
He said currently the level of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is growing and most of the diseases are related to food.
Manongi said food contributes a lot to the body, but knowing the health status of the food is very important to your health.
“This is the reason I’m appealing to everyone that if they want to know about the health status of the food they consume, bring them for test at the NHPL.
“We can do the test for you and by giving you the result of the test it can help you know what you eat and control your diets.
“Because nowadays more food was imported and public for sure don’t know how those food were process and the status of factories or where they were processed.
“Not only imported foods, but there were foods prepared locally like in public food outlets that were also need to check for their health status,” he said.
Manongi stressed that knowing what you eat is very important as it helps you know your health and to control your health as well.
He said food testing at the laboratory is free for individuals except fee imposed for business or commercials to do the test.
Manongi said his staff often available for the duty and they can assist you with the test in the laboratory.
However, he pointed out that as food triggered alarm to diseases nowadays, local food is best to keep you healthy.
Adding that diet is very important and must often balance with right kind of food.
He reiterated that the NHPL is providing food test and they people don’t hesitate to bring the food to the laboratory for testing if uncertain of the food and what it may has for their health.
