Few Eating-Houses Up To Standard

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 20

Few Eating-Houses Up To Standard

Only a very few eastinghouses in Canterbury survived a Health Department inspection with clean records for hygiene and sanitation, said Mr J. B. Snoad, the department's supervising inspector, yesterday. The inspections were part of a national survey which has now been completed. Demerits were awarded for faults under a list of 30 requirements, and the Canterbury

average was 11.2 demerits, compared with the national average of 17.6. Local authorities, which are responsible for policing the regulations affecting eatinghouses, have been given the results of the inspections and it is open to them to take action against the proprietors. In the Christchurch area, eating-houses in Riccarton borough had the highest standards. Only 33 per cent of them were given 10 demerits or more. In Heathcote county 38 per cent of the eating-houses received 10 demerits or more; in Christchurch city the figure was 40 per cent, in Waimairi county it was 49 per cent, in Paparua county it was 55 per cent, and in Lyttelton borough it was 69 per cent. Mr Snoad said there was some need for more strict policing of the eating-houses regulations, but the obvious need was f° r better education of food service operators. Health inspectors from the department and local bodies had conferred on the results of the survey, and their suggestion for a special course in food hygiene for food service operators had been accepted by the department and by the Christchurch Technical Institute.

The course will begirt in May and will cover bacteriology, food poisoning and foodborne diseases, personal hygiene, food premises, food equipment,, rodent and insect control, storage and protection of food, legal enactments and control, cleansing of equipment, cleansing agents, housekeeping and management, and self-inspection. Mr Snoad said the objective was to educate food service operators in the reasons for food hygiene and sanitation.The course was supported by trade unions and employers, and would lead to an examination for a certificate, which it was hoped employers would recognise when hiring staff.