Restaurant sanitation grades could soon become public knowledge, according to Ron Pinder, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Health.
As it stands now, health inspection results are confidential.
Mr. Pinder believes making them public would help promote greater compliance with health standards and inform the public on how local restaurants are performing as it relates to adherence to certain regulations.
“I believe that the public has the right to know the grading standard of a specific eatery,” Mr. Pinder said.
“It should be public knowledge as it exists in parts of the developed world and I think that that is something that the Department of Environmental Health Services is reviewing to cause there to be public notification as to the grade a particular restaurant may receive.”
He added that the Department is also reviewing the grading system for restaurants and eateries.
Mr. Pinder noted, however, that the standards local establishments are required to meet are already high, but he believes there is always room for improvement.
“The standards in The Bahamas are very stringent,” he said.
Inspections are conducted bi-annually to determine if restaurant owners are in compliance with the health departmentﾴs rules and regulations, Mr. Pinder explained.
“In addition to routine inspections, unannounced inspections are conducted in response to individual complaints,” he said.
He added that the Department is engaging in a specific health inspection project to ensure that restaurants in downtown Nassau are adhering to health inspection regulations.
“In the past we have experienced significant problems with respects to sewerage blockage and also very [bad odors] coming from parts of downtown, particularly near the drainage systems,” Mr. Pinder said.
“We have been surveying restaurants and eateries specifically in those areas with a view to improving the service that these restaurants provide as well as eliminating the problem of the sewage blockage in the drainage system.”
The parliamentary secretary pointed out that during inspections officials keep an eye open for proper hand washing stations, the conditions of walls, ceiling and floors, the temperature of refrigerators and trash facilities.
“We continue to review all of the processes with regard to the areas where food is prepared and stored and the overall general sanitation of the facility,” Mr. Pinder informed.
Royanne Forbes, The Bahama Journal
