The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will meet with the City Health Office today to come up with programs to strengthen the capacities of street food vendors to sell safe and clean food to consumers.

The letter of the department addressed to the health office last week stated that the discussion is line with ensuring the protection of the health and wellness of the people in the city. The meeting will also be attended by Davao Food Safety Team Inc.

“Together with the local government unit of Davao City, we can implement better intervention programs on food safety for all small and micro-scale food operators in the city,” the letter penned by Anthony C. Sales, regional director of DOST-XI.

One program that the department is currently pushing is the passage of the food safety ordinance. At present, the proposal was filed for first reading in the city council last week that aimed at providing stringent measures especially to street food vendors.

City Health Officer Josephine J. Villafuerte said the DOST might finally discuss in the meeting the results on the study initiated by the department. She said they were not informed of the initial results of the study of DOST-XI on street food products.

“We only knew the information through the media. The department should informed us first before disclosing the initial results to the media,” she said, adding that even the Department of Health were not informed about the data.

The initial results of the study were revealed by DOST-XI with Centre for International Migration and Development  on Jan. 24 in a press briefing composed of Davao-based business reporters at Medispa in SM City Davao.

The data showed that most of the 40 food samples like kwek-kwek, fishballs and juices were contaminated with disease-causing germs such as salmonella and e. coli bacteria.  The products were taken from the ambulant vendors in areas near the schools, San Pedro, Bankerohan and Bolton Street.

The study is among the basis in crafting the food safety ordinance.

But Curtis C. Lazarraga, sanitation inspector of City Health Office, said there is no need to craft an ordinance. He said regulating the street food vendors is already covered by Presidential Decree 856 or Code on Sanitation of the Philippines.

Sec. 32 (e) of the Code on Sanitation stated that the ambulant vendors are only allowed to sell bottled drinks, biscuits, confectionaries and other pre-packed foods. The provision added that those vendors are also prohibited “to sell food that requires the use of utensils.”

Lazarraga said the city has even an Environmental Health and Sanitation Ordinance. “What the city can do now is to fully implement the laws and provide a location for the ambulant vendors for us to have easy monitoring on them,” he said.