4 August 2011 09:08 am
The Colombo Municipal Council has called on all lunch packet sellers to get registered with their respective Medical Officers of Health to get training on food preparation, packing and selling in order to ensure quality services to the public.
CMC Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam denied speculation that some 300 registered lunch packet sellers in the Colombo city limits will be removed from their locations.
The CMC said instead that it would be carrying out training to ensure that the lunch packet sellers produce quality food, Dr. Kariyawasam said.
“Some 75,000 to 100,000 lunch packets are produced and sold within the Colombo city limits each day. CMC staff will carry out the training and we hope to complete the training process by the end of the month,” Dr. Kariyawasam said.
Lunch packet sellers will also be given an identification card in addition to their registration license. Sellers have been advised to wrap lunch packets either in cardboard boxes or blank paper without the use of newspaper as it is unhygienic. The use of Styrofoam boxes has also been discouraged as they increase pollution and create mosquito breeding.
Lunch sellers speaking to the Daily Mirror said they were well informed about the new regulations and said it was a good step taken by the authorities. However many of them were unaware of when the new rules would be implemented and said they were waiting for the authorities to inform them.
(By Olindhi Jayasundere)