Don't always eat what we grow

This is a call to people buying ground provisions and to a certain extent green vegetables at the Roseau Market. Don't forget to buy your rice, corn-mill, macaroni, and your Irish potatoes in the supermarkets as the provisions sold in the market are largely not fit for human consumption.

I am sure that the hundreds of people go to the market every week to spend their well-earned five dollars, as this is the standard price for almost all commodities that is now being sold in the market. Very often on hears the old saying "eat what we grow", but this is now a term of the past. I am no expert but a lot of our cancer comes from what people are now complaining about, the quality and safety of certain foods brought in for sale in the market.

I know for a fact that there are some people who do not buy anything from vendors from certain villages or parishes on the island as they firmly believe that quite a lot of chemicals are being used in the production of these foods brought in the market for sale. I once brought some green limes in the market and they were as hard as stones (no juice) and when I drew that to the attention of the person selling the limes, all she could advise me was to roll them under my feet. I had a big laugh.

Recently, there had been a huge cry about the selling of unwholesome codfish and some people are now serving prison terms for such action. Does that pertain to shops and supermarkets only? I spent some time in Guyana, and it was a pleasure visiting the Starbroke Market where you have public health officers visiting the various stalls to inspect the products on sale to the public. In the meat section there were the carcasses of dead animals on display for sale with the public health stamp on each carcass to show that the meat was fit for human consumption. Here in Dominica the question of meat safety comes up only during the Christmas season. The question is, what is the Market Authority and by extension DEXIA doing about that? Are they are not responsible for the good and proper management of the market including the safety of the produce that is on sale there? Deeply Concerned.