The Central Board of Health (CBH) has closed down 10 more food vendors in St John’s after a second recent inspection revealed numerous health and safety violations.
The inspection, which took place over the weekend, found that out of the 17 vendors inspected, 10 were preparing and selling food in an unhygienic manner.
It comes a week after a previous inspection resulted in the closure of 12 of the 16 vendors scrutinised.
Deputy Chief Health Inspector Daryl Spencer expressed grave concern over the latest findings.
“I’m very concerned, but it is our responsibility to work with the vendors to get them up to a level that we can be comfortable with,” Spencer said.
“Based on our findings from this exercise, we recognise that we need to be more vigilant, we need to be out there some more, and we need to have more conversations with the public so that the public understands what is expected of them [and] what is expected of the vendor.”
The inspections brought several critical violations to light, including seven vendors who were operating without hand-washing stations and 10 who did not possess a valid food safety badge.
Additionally, six vendors were found to be keeping prepared food at incorrect temperatures, which can pose a significant risk to public health.
One vendor was even forced to dispose of food items because they were deemed unsafe for consumption.
Spencer emphasised the importance of the CBH’s increased presence and inspections.
“The law states that the public health inspector should visit your property at any reasonable time, and as long as you’re selling food, whether it be at 8am or 4.40am, the public health department should be able to ensure that whoever is purchasing has safe food,” he said.
The CBH has plans to continue cataloguing food handlers and conducting inspections throughout the year, including nights and weekends, to ensure that all vendors are on the “same safe page” and that only safe food is offered for public consumption.
To address the issue, the CBH, on Monday, held a series of training sessions for the first set of vendors who were found to be in violation of the regulations.
Training will continue today for all businesses instructed to cease food preparation, with another session scheduled for May 1.
The CBH is urging all food vendors to obtain a valid food safety badge and comply with the recommended guidelines to ensure the safety of their customers.
Regular training sessions are held twice per month for vendors whose food safety cards have expired or for new individuals entering the trade.
As the CBH continues its efforts to maintain public health and safety, the recent closures serve as a reminder to food vendors and the public of the importance of adhering to proper food handling and hygiene practices.