BY AWELE OGBOGU
Delta State Ministry of Environment, yesterday sealed the seemingly state-of-the-art bakery belonging to Shoprite Mall, Asaba, where highly priced bakery products, especially bread where churned out for public consumption.
Director of Sanitation and Waste Management, Delta State Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Francisca Atiga confirmed the sealing of the bakery to The Pointer, saying it would serve as a test case in ongoing efforts to rid the state of disease outbreaks which could be traceable to poor attitudes to safety by hospitality providers.
The State Consultant, Food Hygiene Compliance Team, Delta State Ministry of Environment, Amb. Ugagaoghene Ogheneyole, whose team made a discovery of serial contraventions by Shoprite, Asaba Mall, while concluding their inspection of bakeries in the state capital, said it was more worrisome to discover that Shoprite forged the certificates of medical fitness of food handlers, thus exposing customers to the risk factors of disease outbreak.
Ogheneyole further disclosed that Shoprite Mall, Asaba contravened provisions of the law with failure to provide their HACCP Plan or food safety management system, non-registration with an accredited PSP operator, non-possession of a fumigation certificate and keeping waste bins without lids or covers.
Additional contraventions by the popular stores, included channeling sewage into the public drainage and improper stocking of their first aid box.
At the time of going to press yesterday, the management of Shoprite Mall, Asaba, were still making frantic efforts to settle the matter, but were rebuffed by the Ministry of Environment.
