By Wendy Mkandawire
The Minister of Health and Sanitation says government is modernizing food safety laws to enforce stricter hygiene standards across the country.
Speaking during the World Food Safety Day commemoration on Thursday in Lilongwe, Minister Madalitso Baloyi said government is strengthening food safety surveillance networks, upgrading public laboratories, and modernizing regulatory frameworks to meet international standards.
According to Baloyi, outbreaks of cholera and other food-borne illnesses that have affected the country over the years can be linked to food safety.
She said expanding access to safe food, clean water and proper sanitation remains a key strategic intervention.
Baloyi therefore emphasized the need for multi-sectoral collaboration and surveillance to curb food-borne infections, especially among vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly and women.
She also called on farmers to adopt good agricultural practices, and urged food processors and vendors to uphold strict hygiene protocols.
In her remarks, Ireland’s Ambassador to Malawi, Her Excellency Kate Brady, commended government for developing a national food safety policy, saying it is critical to achieving food safety in Malawi.
Ambassador Brady added that food is important to public health, economic development and exports.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally over 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths occur annually due to unsafe food.
