Although the government could move to change the legislation to reveal the names of food service outlets that violate the county’s food safety legislation, Information Minister Melford Nicholas has indicated that the Central Board of Health (CBH) first needs to make that request.
Nicholas was speaking on the heels of reports from CBH that it recently had to close 11 food establishments because of health and safety violation. This resulted in residents calling for the names of the offending outlets to be publicized.
“If there is a gap in the legislative framework that prevents them from doing a more thorough enforcement, it is obligatory on those persons to draw it to the attention of the minister who will then seek to get the type of legislative amendment or legislative replacement so that we take full control of the whole gamut of the health process.”
The CBH, however, in an April 9th post on its Facebook page, revealed that, after a discussion held here in Antigua, “The OECS is currently in the process of creating a Food Safety Bill that is expected to be used throughout the region.”
The post also indicated the ministry’s hope that the bill would be passed in six months.