PHILIPSBURG--Ten food establishments were warned and closed for food safety violations in August.
The 10 establishments, which have since corrected the violations and have reopened, were amongst 86 food establishments inspected by the Inspectorate of Public Health's Department of Food Safety last month. The establishments inspected included restaurants, supermarkets and other places that handle food.
The owners of the establishments were issued warning letters, and were also informed that in case of a lack of appropriate measures to correct the violations or a recurrence of the violations, they will be prosecuted in full force by the law, Inspector General Earl Best said in a press release on Monday.
The most common violation encountered during the inspections was pest infestation (roaches and rodents) in several kitchens. The Inspectorate said pest infestation is considered "a serious violation." Insects and rodents carry disease on their bodies, as well as excrete and defecate on food. "In many restaurants and supermarkets, roaches were found running around on unprepared food and also on ready-to-eat food. Rats and mice were no exceptions. Rat droppings and live rats were seen. A pest control programme must be in place," the Inspectorate said.
Another violation was the disorganisation of food preparation and storage areas. According to the Inspectorate, in many of the establishments, the food handlers were not separating cleaning material from prepared food and unprepared food. "Once prepared food is contaminated by cleaning material, this will render the food unfit for consumption. Consequently, the consumer can become sick. A separation between the dirty and clean area is necessary," the release said.
Some establishments also did not have any verifiable cleaning programme and walls and floors were unhygienic and inadequately maintained. "The lack of a cleaning programme is very common. Many licence holders do not see the necessity to clean and disinfect their establishment, cooking equipment, refrigerators and freezers on a regular basis. In addition, surfaces like cutting tables, walls, ceilings and floors, if not constantly cleaned, will accumulate grease and dirt, which are ideal places for bacterial growth. Constant cleaning is the key to keep your place hygienic."
The Inspectorate also said that some of the establishments have no verifiable temperature control system. The Inspectorate said temperature control violations are among the most common critical item violation marked on food establishment inspections. "This happens because so many foods are subject to proper temperature control. Careful management and monitoring of temperatures of refrigerators and freezers in the food establishments can help to prevent food-borne illness."
Food handlers were also not in possession of a food safety certificate as required by law. "The law mandates that all persons that prepare, handle and serve food, master the basic principle of handling food in a hygienic manner. This law is in place to guarantee that the food handler knows how to prepare and keep food, as much as possible, free from contamination."
Food and food products were also not labelled and were improperly stored. "When food products are not [properly – Ed.] labelled and stored under inadequate temperature conditions, not even the food handler that had stored the product will be able to identify the product at a later stage. This means that the item has become a risk item for consumption."
Inspectors also encountered improper food handling procedures as there was no clear separation between raw and cooked foods. "Ready-to-eat food is handled in very unsafe manners. In many cases, raw food that contains dangerous microbes is mixed with ready-to-eat food."
The Inspectorate's Food Safety Division is responsible for ensuring that foods prepared and sold in St. Maarten are fit and wholesome for human consumption, the release said. Food for consumption that is not prepared under hygienic conditions can cause severe gastrointestinal complaints such as weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe allergic reactions.
The Division of Food Safety says it has adopted a strategy to start informing the public of the latest inspection findings as far as food safety is concerned to make people more aware about preparing safe food.
The Inspectorate said food safety inspectors will continue to be "very vigilant" during their inspections. It encourages the public to call the Inspectorate at tel. 542-3580 or 542-2079 to report situations that appear to be unhygienic and/or when experiencing complaints. One's name and credentials are not relevant. "We will make sure that the public consumes safe food, and doesn't pay to get sick," the Inspectorate said.
