St Ann Health Dept cracking down on food establishments
ST ANN, Jamaica— The St Ann Public Health Department is getting tough on food establishments being operated below the required health and safety standards.
Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Leroy Scott, told the monthly sitting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation on Friday that a number of food establishments have been closed recently because of breaches of the Public Health Act.
“In February we had to order the closure of a total of six establishments, one wholesale, two supermarkets, two restaurants, and one pastry shop because we continue to have issues with food safety in some establishments,” said Scott.
He noted that three of the six establishments ordered closed were in Brown’s Town, one in Discovery Bay, one in Alexandria, and the other in Ocho Rios.
“The violations were of unsanitary operations, intrusion of pest and some unsanitary lack of cleaning,” Scott divulged as he urged operators of food establishments to adhere to the stipulations of the Public Health Act and avoid the risk of being ordered closed.
He said five of the six facilities ordered closed in February have since been allowed to resume operation based on the corrective measures implemented.
“We are forced to take compliance measures to enable satisfactory cooperation,” Scott explained.
– Akera Davis