West faces food safety challenges

Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Despite a whopping 73 per cent increase in the number of food establishments registered with the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) over the last four years, health officials have raised concerns about the high level of non-compliance in regard to safety standards.

Speaking at last week's 6th International Food Safety Conference of the Food Hygiene Bureau, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay, Dr Marcia Johnson Campbell, acting regional technical director of WRHA, said food safety was a major concern in western Jamaica.

However, while Dr Johnson Campbell did not detail the areas and levels of non-compliance, a source at the WRHA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation was far from being ideal as there were areas of serious concern.

GAPS IN MONITORING

"Gaps in our monitoring system to ensure that they (food establishments) are compliant have contributed to some not being policed as they should," the source told the Western Focus. "As is the case throughout the island, the West is under represented in terms of manpower."

However, in outlining the WRHA strategies to encourage compliance, Dr Johnson Campbell said her organisation has been working closely with the parish councils as part of an overall drive to encourage compliance.

"Some of the strategies that we have implemented, in particular, for our food shops is to do food establishment drives, where we serve the statutory notices," said Dr Johnson Campbell. "We do work with the parish council and the municipal police to ensure that we reach those whom we need to."

According to data presented by Dr Johnson Campbell at the two-day seminar, in the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, mushrooming food establishments jumped to 5,832, which is a 73 per cent increase over what existed in 2007. Of the current amount, 71.9 per cent was inspected but only 67.5 of the amount was certified as being satisfactory.

Interestingly, in the period 2007 to the present, there was also a four per cent increase in the registration of tourist establishments, which moved up to 429. Of the number, 90 per cent was inspected but only 82.7 per cent was health certified.

Based on its modus operandi, once a food establishment is identified, the operators must be spoken to and instructed as to the requirements that should be met to ensure food safety. However, in places like St James, where there is a plethora of unplanned developments, ensuring compliance is a major challenge.

"We do not have a tight handle on monitoring of these businesses as we should, a lot more needs to be done," the WRHA told the Western Focus. "The situation is not helped by the fact that, in St James, we have over 22 inner-city communities, most with reputations of sporadic violence. It is really a difficult task but we do what we can with what we have."

Based on the data provided by the WRHA, 681 food handlers clinics were conducted last year, resulting in approximately 33,000 being trained.