The Ministry of Health has embarked on a meat inspection program, Senior Environmental Health Officer, Sylvester St. Ville, has revealed.
St. Ville stated that the program is vital to the public to protecting the public against unsafe and unwholesome meats.
“Meat inspection is an important public health preventive program that is undertaken by the Ministry of Health,” he explained. “Meat itself can transmit a number of diseases to humans who consume that meat, and during inspections we protect the public against unsafe and unwholesome meat.”
He defined unsafe meat as meat which could potentially transmit diseases, while meat which is unwholesome is that which is not aesthetically pleasing.
St. Ville said that the main aim of the program aims is to protect humans against new and re-emerging diseases.
“The most important reason that we do inspection is to ensure that it does not transmit diseases to human beings…” he divulged. “We ensure that the consumers are not exposed to disease-causing organisms that may be in the meat, that can cause diseases in humans.”
Meantime, St. Ville called on members of the public to adhere to all the necessities for meat preparation.
“One of the things we advise is that prior to slaughter, you choose an area that is clean, and ensure that the meat itself will not be contaminated as a result of the environment around the animal. You have to ensure that the people who are going to slaughter are adequately competent to do the slaughtering. You have to ensure that there is water, because you need to be cleaning your equipment during slaughter… You need to ensure that the area is shaded and clean…” he advised. “You need to ensure that the people who are going to handle and sell the meat are certified people.”
From this article it seems that this is the very first time that meat inspection is being conducted in Dominica which is furthest from the truth. This seems to create an impression to the outside world that meat in Dominica is not being inspected. In fact, in my community meat is inspected almost weekly. THIS IS NOT NEWS! I wonder what impression Mr. St. Ville is trying to create.
This is a good start!
The Ministry of Health must also inspect imported foods.
Many Caribbean and African countries have seen an increase of Chinese \”Plastic Rice \” in their food markets.
We have to be careful with that. Many a times we wonder why is it that our areas have so many explained diseases.
Can Dominica produce some of the best livestock meat in the world? With all the natural spring water and fertile soil to aid the process. I am wondering how good is the quality
Why only now? Is it a one off inspection or will it Be continuous?
I was thinking the same thing before reading you comment. Dominica is just a mess. When I was a boy, a health inspector had to be present at the butcher’s shop (after the kill) to inspect the meat before he/she could start selling same.
Today we have demon possess men jumping on anything that moves; from fowls to cows – And meat goes on sale with human semen inside. What a world we live in.
I hope Mr. St. Ville is very serious during his visit, especially the Abatoir and the Doctor at La Plaine.