Eateries under microscope ahead of CHOGM

by Carol Aloysius

The Health Ministry will deploy food inspectors and PHIs to inspect all leading hotels and small eateries in the city by mid September ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). A Health Ministry spokesman said, "We want to ensure they serve hygienically prepared safe food and meet the standards set out under the Food Act",

He said that all food handlers would have to undergo compulsory medical tests to ensure they were free of infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis A, typhoid, TB and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs.) The Ministry will also inspect all packeted food including spices to prevent adulterated, low quality food being sold in the market.

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has filed cases against 60 errant traders who had sold low quality food at the recently concluded Esala perahera in Kandy.