Safe food outlets at a new low

by Carol Aloysius

Are you looking for a safe food outlet to ease your hunger pangs? Perhaps you may have to take a long and hard look. According to the food authorities only a tiny fraction of food outlets 10-15 percent eateries islandwide had obtained satisfactory grades under the H800 inspection format and qualified for the top ranking of being the safest eating outlets in the country.

Director, Food Control Administration, Health Ministry, K. Tillekeratne told the Sunday Observer, that the format H800 developed by the Ministry of Health following several complaints about sub quality food, offered four grades to food outlets – A, B, C and D for hygienic safe food. He said only 10-15 percent of all food outlets in the country had qualified for the best grade.

(A) while 40-50 percent had obtained B grades. The others fell into the remaining two grades. “The gradings depend on basic requirements such as: Location or site of the building housing the food outlet; Storage and processing and preparation of food, source of water used (with tap water recommended), method of waste control and mandatory medical examination of all workers.

He said two methods used to check the food quality was when contamination (as in the case of uncovered food) was evident to the naked eye, or when food labelling was absent or the expiry dates had lapsed. The second method was by testing samples of cooked food in food outlets, at registered laboratories for microbiological or chemical contamination.

“If the food is found to be sub standard, our public health authorities who are authorised to enter any food outlet can initiate legal action against the offenders,” he said.

Health Ministry sources said that PHIs had already begun inspecting ready-made sweets and confectioneries sold by eating outlets for the New Year.

“Inspections on cooked items for the New Year including cakes will begin shortly”, a Health Ministry spokesman said.