Wa Municipal Environmental Health Officer Raises Alarm Over Unsafe Food Handling Practices

Razak Kanyiti, the Environmental Health Officer for the Wa Municipal Assembly, has expressed serious concerns about the use of chemicals by some food, fruit, and vegetable sellers in the Wa Municipality to artificially ripen or preserve their produce. He also highlighted poor sanitary practices among vendors as a significant public health risk.

Speaking on Info Radio’s morning programme on Monday, September 1, 2026, Mr. Kanyiti condemned the sale of food items such as oranges, mangoes, bananas, tomatoes, garden eggs, and pepper on bare floors, in gutters, on plastics, and in unhygienic market environments. He stressed that these practices expose consumers to health hazards.

To address these issues, Mr. Kanyiti announced the imminent deployment of a taskforce that will operate across all markets and vending sites in Wa. The team will inspect food, water, health, and safety standards and verify that vendors hold valid registration and medical clearance certificates.

He urged the public to avoid purchasing food sold on the ground or in dirty locations and to always check for vendor certification before buying.

Additionally, starting this September, the Wa Municipal Assembly will conduct mandatory health screenings for all food and fruit vendors. Mr. Kanyiti encouraged vendors to undergo testing at hospital laboratories and obtain qualified vendor certificates prior to selling food within the municipality.