Food safety: Cleanliness manual issued for businesses

Several eateries were sealed in Bahawalpur over hygiene standards

BAHAWALPUR:

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Imran Sikandar Baloch on Friday issued a manual listing directions for hotels, restaurants, bakeries and fast food eateries.

Owners and managers of these places were directed to prepare food in airy spaces with access to safe water.

The manual said kitchen floors should be tiled. It said dishes and countertops should be cleaned regularly,

It said kitchen ceilings and walls should be kept clean and should be white-washed every six months.

Hotel owners were directed to ensure adequate lighting and functional chimneys for kitchens. He said a list of staff working in the kitchen should be maintained. He said the workers should have medical certificates proving that they have been vaccinated against communicable diseases.

The DCO said workers should not be allowed to sleep in kitchens. He said their nails should be clipped at all times. He said they should be provided soaps and hand sanitizers.

He said workers should not touch food without wearing gloves.

The DCO said metal nets to trap flies should be installed at kitchen doors.

Hotel owners were directed to store food in spaces free of insects, flies and rodents. The DCO said construction of toilets close to the kitchens was forbidden.

According to the manual, package food must clearly state an expiry date.

The DCO said action would be taken if these directions were not followed.

On Thursday, several hotels were sealed in Bahawalpur, Yazman and Khairpur Tamewali over poor hygiene.

Assistant Commissioner Rao Muhammad Tasleem had raided Takbeer Bakers and found flies in the food.

Fast food restaurant Almaida Fried Chicken was also sealed after it was found that expired products were being used in cooking food.

The assistant commissioner also checked the sweet shops on Chah Fateh Khan Road. He sealed a juice shop in Fareed Gate.

In Yazman, Assistant Commissioner Rao Shakeel Ahmad raided Tehzeeb Bakers on Bahawalpur Road. The owner was fined Rs50,000 after the kitchen was found to be unclean.

Ambala Sweet Shop was sealed after insects were found in a can and its owner was fined Rs25,000. Rehman Sweets were fined Rs10,000 rupees and Madina Juice Corner was fined Rs3,000 rupees over poor hygiene.

In Khairpur Tamewali, Deputy District Health Officer Ghulam Shabbir sealed four hotels for having rotten food in freezers. Later, the assistant commissioner fined them Rs4,000 and allowed them to re-open.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2015.