Food vendors advised to follow safety measures during Creole activities

Castries, Saint Lucia: Food vendors are advised to follow the Food Safety Measures to ensure a safe activity during the Jounen Kweyol 2023.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs introduced some safety measures to the food vendors, such as:

1. Food should be maintained at the appropriate temperature.
2. Ensure the availability of sufficient hot holding equipment like coal pots, warmers, stenos, etc, to keep the foods hot during the event.
3. There should be ice and coolers for cooling food and drinks.
4. Make certain adequate equipment to keep the food cold, for instance- ice chillers. Coolers etc
5. Ensure that ice is used for cooling drinks and foods and is not used for serving drinks.
6. Cold foods are supposed to be stored at a temperature range of 40 degrees F or below, and hot foods at 140 degrees F temperature or above.
7. The food requiring temperature control is not stored at atmospheric temperature.
8. The food on display should be covered properly to prevent contamination.
9. Foods must be adequately labelled, especially the food which contains ingredients that can cause possible allergenic reactions.
10. It is mandatory for food vendors to use separate utensils for serving different dishes when serving food with a likely allergenic reaction.
11. Ensure all food handlers hold a valid health certificate.
12. Approved food handlers must be properly dressed.
13. All food handlers should make sure that they are in proprietorship of valid public health temporary licenses.
14. To ensure that one has proper hands-on hygiene and that an adequate supply of gloves is provided to them.

These guidelines or safety measure is instituted to be followed during the festivities over the weekend.

The staff of the OECS Commission joined the people of Saint Lucia on October 27, 2023, to celebrate Jounen Kweyol this weekend. These Member states exhibited their beautiful culture through their delicacies, attires and music.

Saint Lucia’s Jounen Kweyol

Jounen Kweyol is celebrated with full enthusiasm by the natives of Saint Lucia. It attracts visitors from across the world to witness the beauty of this festival. The streets are filled with people who dressed in traditional or Kweyol attire, which marks the country’s cultural heritage.

The day showcases tasty creole dishes such as roasted breadfruit, salt fish, fishcakes, local rum tasting, bouillon, and green bananas- a national dish.

Various performances are held throughout the month, such as games, folk dances, plays, storytelling and cultural music, which they performed in the island’s native Creole language known as “Patois” or “French Creole.”