As the international community continues to be interested in pushing back the mantle of the dreadful COVID-19 global pandemic, the local food service industry could be a vital cog in limiting the further spread of the virus locally, Director of Analyst Government Dr Marlon Cole, Department of Food and Drugs (GA-FDD) told the Stabroek Business earlier this week. “From all we know it is unlikely that organizations in the food service industry could share significant responsibility in the wider national battle against the pandemic, given what we are told is the likely link between contact surfaces and the spread of the virus .
According to Cole, ongoing public health warnings about likely contact between contact surfaces and the possible spread of the virus cannot rule out the link between the processes and procedures involved in the preparation and processing of foods. “We are told that some of the circumstances in which the virus can be spread … relate to contact surfaces and these may well be used in the food service industry. This is not an alarm bell. It raises awareness. What this means is that we need to look to our Food Handlers to help lead the way in considering the situation we all find ourselves in, ”said Cole.