AfricaPress-Tanzania: THERE are a lot of activities going on in Tanzania due to the country’s improved doing business environment, investment opportunities and booming economy.
Everything happening reflects the law of supply and demand. It is encouraging to see that many young people – men and women – are nowadays engaged in a business of one kind or another to earn a living.
One wonders, if all these young people were not allowed to do what they are doing, what would have happened?
What life could have looked like? Certainly, poverty would have increased and the quality of life would have deteriorated. But thanks to God, the quality of life is improving.
According to United Nations projections (2021), the current life expectancy for Tanzania is 65.77 years, a 0.47 per cent increase from 2020.
This is over five years above the compulsory retirement age, which is 60 years old and over 10 years of the voluntary retirement age, which is 55 years old.
Yet, engaging in any kind of activity, which earns one a living, there must be some minimum requirements that must be adhered to.
For instance, those engaged in food business must ensure they abide by health regulations and expert recommendations. We say this because the manner in which some people do their business is worrying as far as the health of consumers is concerned.
Some people engaging in vegetable and fruit farming spray their crops to kill insects, but they sell to buyers anytime without having to consider the minimum time gap between the spray of herbicides/pesticides and harvest for use of food products.
Likewise, those engaged in livestock or poultry rearing must know when to inoculate their livestock (including dipping) or poultry and strictly observe the minimum time gap between inoculation (including dipping) and animal slaughter or eggs sale to ensure the meat, milk or eggs consumed are free from antimicrobial drug residues.
Inappropriate and non-judicious use of these drugs results in the accumulation of toxic and harmful residues in food products and this has health risks to consumers. Not only this, some food traders do not adhere to hygienic conditions.
For instance, food could be prepared and served in an unhygienic environment without considering the health of consumers. This is not right at all.
What we advise and indeed want to remind one another is to sell all food products that are free from drug residuals and in a hygienic environment.
Actually, adhering to this will increase the number of costumers and income. So, there is a need to change our mind-set and improve our way of doing things and strictly take health precautions when doing food business.
