An official of the Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned that the risk of serious outbreaks of food-borne diseases in the country is very high as the population of vendors who practise proper food handling and sanitation is limited.

The availability of potable water is also limited.

Similarly, there is limited consumer and nutritional education for the public to know their rights and therefore demand safe and nutritious food.

Senior Regional Food and Nutrition Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (F.A.O) Regional Office for Accra, Dr. Cheikh Ndiaye made these remarks at the launch of the Cook Art Ghana 2001 contest in Accra recently.

The increased number of the work force in urban centres has substantially increased the patronage of street food vendors but the safety aspects of the so-called street food based on the hygienic environment where the food vendors operate leave much to be desired, he added.

He told the gathering that the F.A.O has since the 1980's recognised the importance of traditional foods in meeting the nutrient requirements of people in Ghana. As part of this, studies, seminars, training, workshops and publication are organised on various aspects to promote the production, consumption utilisation of traditional food.

He said the activity of cook Art Ghana is therefore timely in creating appropriate awareness amongst members of the public and getting food caterers/vendors, among other things to know the correct methods of handling preparation, preservation, storage and sale of various food items.

Executive Director of Trafix catering services, Bella Ahu, said what her organisation and the Ghana Traditional Caterers Association sought to do under the technical advice of the Ghana Tourist Board and with the support of the National commission on culture was to promote indigenous Ghanaian dishes on the menu chart.

Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board Regina Kpanga, said chop bar keepers, fast food joints, waakye or rice sellers, groundnut, fruit and other street food vendors contribute significantly to the success of the tourism industry.

She said the inability of most street food vendors to observe basic hygiene in their operations constitutes a great danger in the spread of communicable diseases, food poisoning and epidemics. She said poorly built and unattractive structures and siting of eating-places near places of convenience, refuse dumps and gutters are issues the organisers of Cook Art must tackle with utmost concern.