By Carol Aloysius
An independent team of doctors, food inspectors, medical lab technologists and PHI’s are currently on an investigative mission on star class hotels in the Colombo city to ensure the food they serve is safe and free from health risks.
The team of three doctors, four food inspectors and three medical lab technologists that commenced their unannounced ‘visits’ to hotels around the city early this month, have already hauled five star class hotels to court , Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, Chief Medical Officer, Colombo Municipal Council ( CMC) who appointed the team told The Nation, in an exclusive interview.
“The charges varied from unhygienic food, unsanitary kitchens, outdated food in their stores to poor hygiene on the part of their food handlers”, he said. “We have filed action against them under the Food Act of No 26, 1980. They will be fined Rs. 5,000 each and be given a suspended prison sentence as well.”
He said that raids of this nature were also being conducted in restaurants around the city. “This month alone we have filed cases against more than 30 restaurants for serving food in unsanitary conditions. Some of these food outlets are unlicensed. If they continue to operate without a license, we will have to go to courts again and get a closure order,” he said.
The team has been authorised to visit these hotels and restaurants at a chosen time and day. “They are expected to check the state of the kitchens, the stores, take samples of the food, check on the food handlers and if found wanting, initiate legal action on their own. They don’t have to report to me, as they are an independent group. I have instructed them to do this regularly every month, preferably once a week, instead of just once or twice a year as the CMC used to do in the past,” he said.
Meanwhile the CMC is also coming down hard on errant wayside food stalls and lunch packet vendors selling food unfit for human consumption. Over 90- percent of lunch packets sold in boutiques and makeshift stalls on the roads have been found to be spoilt by 2 pm due to their being cooked very early in the morning and left exposed to the sun for over eight hours, a survey by the CMC revealed.
“The charges varied from unhygienic food, unsanitary kitchens, outdated food in their stores to poor hygiene on the part of their food handlers”, he said. “We have filed action against them under the Food Act of No 26, 1980. They will be fined Rs. 5,000 each and be given a suspended prison sentence as well.”
He said that raids of this nature were also being conducted in restaurants around the city. “This month alone we have filed cases against more than 30 restaurants for serving food in unsanitary conditions. Some of these food outlets are unlicensed. If they continue to operate without a license, we will have to go to courts again and get a closure order,” he said.
The team has been authorised to visit these hotels and restaurants at a chosen time and day. “They are expected to check the state of the kitchens, the stores, take samples of the food, check on the food handlers and if found wanting, initiate legal action on their own. They don’t have to report to me, as they are an independent group. I have instructed them to do this regularly every month, preferably once a week, instead of just once or twice a year as the CMC used to do in the past,” he said.
Meanwhile the CMC is also coming down hard on errant wayside food stalls and lunch packet vendors selling food unfit for human consumption. Over 90- percent of lunch packets sold in boutiques and makeshift stalls on the roads have been found to be spoilt by 2 pm due to their being cooked very early in the morning and left exposed to the sun for over eight hours, a survey by the CMC revealed.
Dr. Kariyawasam said that 140 lunch packet vendors were now registered with the CMC. “But they have to come to our premises daily to show us samples of their packets, as we are unable to go to them, since we are very short of staff - with just 33 Food Inspectors and four PHIs to test their food. Mobile food vendors must also get prior permission from the CMC to sell their food and park their vehicles only at suitable places approved by us and the Police. All vendors selling contaminated food packets will also be fined and have to face jail sentences”, he warned
http://www.nation.lk/2011/10/30/news17.htm
http://www.nation.lk/2011/10/30/news17.htm
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