PRESS RELEASE: On Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April 2024, staff from the Public Health Department conducted rapid inspections in St. John’s City.
Focus was placed on the possession of a food handlers ID, the presence of a hand washing station, and time and temperature abuse of food. There were many food safety infractions which led to the discontinuation of food for sale to the public.
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On Friday 26th April, a total of seventeen (17) vendors were inspected, ten (10) vendors were instructed to cease the preparation and sale of food, seven (7) vendors were operating without a hand washing station, while ten (10) vendors were without a valid food safety badge.
Six (6) vendors held food at incorrect temperature, and food items were seized and disposed of from one (1) vendor.
On Saturday 27th April, a total of seven (7) vendors were inspected, four (4) vendors were instructed to cease the preparation and sale of food, three (3) vendors were operating without a hand washing station, while five (5) vendors were without a valid food safety badge.
Two (2) vendors held food at incorrect temperature, and food items were seized and disposed of from two (2) vendor. A meeting will be held on Monday 29th April at the Central Board of Health office, with the owner of the businesses who were instructed to cease the preparation of food.
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The Central Board of Health is appealing to food vendors to obtain a valid food safety badge, and to be in compliant with the recommendations given in order to resume the preparation and sale of food.
In addition, the homes and businesses must be inspected before reopening.
There will be a special food safety training on Wednesday 1st May, for those businesses who were instructed to cease the preparation of food for public consumption.
Food Vendors must register no later than Tuesday 30th April, at the Central Board of Health office on Upper Church Street for the food safety training.
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This is encouraging news that the safety of customers takes priority. If you’re serious about doing business, especially in food service, you should all comply. Nah poison nonbady, jack.
The majority of the food vendors on the street are non nationals, mostly Jamaicans. Why don’t they go and apply for the hotel jobs that Antiguans don’t want. I am sure I heard Gaston say on his radio station that a Dominican woman got a job in hotel after two weeks on the island.
It is NEVER a healthy practice to purchase food on the roadside. All types of contaminants are present, lurking in the air: from viruses to vehicular exhaust.
It is really a serious risk that we take in consuming food from roadside vendors.
Restaurants:
It should be a policy that every restaurant be outfitted with running HOT water. This is NOT the norm as even regular running room temperature water is unavailable many times since the pubic water system in Antigua is in such a deplorable state.
The people who serve food (street side vendors or in restaurants) should be required to wear masks and gloves at all times. Also, the persons who serve the food should NOT be the same individuals handling the money.
These simple practices would go a long way to prevent and reduce health issues.
Remember those Chinese so called restaurant are the biggest culprit. Inspect them to
Inspect all Chinese Restaurants, those crab vendors and people selling drinks.
My problem is the grills that are leave on the roadside they should be removed and washout for the next sale day .the city need to be upgraded
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