Hygiene League for Restaurants Proposed

12 December, 2003

A hygiene league for restaurants has been proposed by an international food safety group.

Leader of the group, Dr Declan Bolton of the Teagasc National Food Centre, said that the proposal could lead to restaurants being judged, not just on culinary prowess, but also on hygiene and food safety.

The proposal was made at an international conference in Budapest organised by Dr Blaithin Maunsell and Dr Bolton of the Teagasc National Food Centre and attended by scientists, chefs, consumer representatives and food safety bodies from 21 countries. It is part of a major EU-funded project aimed at developing food safety blueprints for farm production, meat processing, retailing and catering. The project is being led by scientists at the Teagasc National Food Centre.

Dr Bolton said the need for training of all kitchen staff in restaurants was a key recommendation from the conference. Dishcloths were singled out as a source of dangerous bacteria. The importance of a European-wide restaurant licensing system, with the power to revoke licenses where food safety protocols are breached, was also emphasised.

“The conference also agreed that current food safety procedures are too complicated and unsuitable for smaller establishments. The delegates felt that, for restaurants in particular, there is an over-emphasis on record keeping. The outcome of this and other conferences being organised under this international project will be used to develop a simple, user-friendly and effective food safety system for application in restaurant kitchens across Europe,” said Dr Bolton.

In addition to developing safety practices for vital stages in the food chain, the project will also examine how food safety outbreaks are investigated and advise on effective communications strategies with consumers on food safety issues.