Dead roaches found througout the kitchen area, was one of a number of infractions listed by the Department of Environmental Health Services against one of four restaurants along East Bay Street inspected last Thursday.
After exposing unsanitary practices in several fast food establishments along Mackey Street, the DEHS conducted another round of impromptu health inspections in the East Bay Street area.
Except for “minor” infractions at three restaurants, Chief Health Inspector Andrew Thompson said Monday he was “satisfied” with the sanitary conditions.
However, one restaurant, labeled as “Company 4 on the report,” was cited for 12 infractions, including dead roaches throughout the kitchen area.
Additionally, inspectors found exposed electrical wires, uncovered food in freezers and kitchen counters, “unsanitary” floors behind stoves and cooked and raw foods stored on the floors.
The company owners, also, could not produce valid health certificates.
The Department’s initiatives were announced as the beginning of more “heightened public awareness to sensitize business owners and Bahamians on enforcing the regulations and sanitary practices at local restaurants.”
Ron Pinder, Health Ministry Parliamentary Secretary, said that the “exercises are designed with the view to let the Bahamian public know that when they come across infractions, that there is a recourse in the Department, specifically in the Health Inspectorate Division. We are seeking to advise the public as well as change behaviour.”
Inspector Thompson said businesses should use hard, smooth surfaces for food preparation, hot and treated running water, clean surroundings where bacteria cannot harbour, and comply with other health regulations.
“Each person handling food has to have a health certificate to ensure that there is no communicable disease,” he said. “The other thing is sewerage management, treatment and design. Then there’s vector and pest control, which can cause problems in the contamination of foods and disease. Establishments must have a contract with a company to give service for pest control.”
The 22 inspectors are pledged to conduct their annual inspections every week, covering New Providence “block by block,” issuing notices were unsanitary practices are found.
If infractions are detected, business owners are ordered to rectify the violation within three weeks. If that is not done, businesses are issued a public health order. No response from business owners can lead to a legal summons, and having the infractions made “public knowledge.”
By Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
