Yesterday I had the privilege to speak with Hal Anderson on his radio show Hal Anderson Afternoons. In response to the food court closure at St. Boniface Hospital, we discussed what issues could lead to a restaurant closure.
Imminent Health Hazards are significant threats or dangers that can lead to immediate closure. Examples include:
Fire
Flood
Extended water or electrical outage
Sewage back up
Foodborne illness outbreak
Gross insanitary occurrence or conditions
Any circumstances that may endanger public health
Insanitary occurrences or conditions could mean many things. As defined by the Manitoba Food and Food Handling Establishment Regulation
"insanitary conditions" means the condition of
a place or premises, or a circumstance, that
(a) presents or might present a threat to
the health of any person,
(b) prevents or hinders, or might prevent or
hinder, the suppression of disease, or
(c) has contaminated, tainted or polluted
food, or may contaminate, taint or pollute
food, in a manner that presents or might
present a threat to the health of any person;
Over the last year, here is a small sample of the closure reasons listed by Manitoba Public Health Inspectors:
Dish machine failing to sanitize dishes
General sanitation
Rodents
Lack of refrigeration to maintain potentially hazardous foods below 40°F (4°C)
There is no such thing as zero risks, there will always be food safety hazards when handling food. It is important for the operator of an establishment to have safe food handling practices in place, a monitoring system to ensure those safe food handling practices are being followed, and have the ability to correct issues as they arise.
With 1 in 5 inspector positions vacant in Manitoba; instead of relying on the minimum regular visits from the health inspector (should they occur), you should partner with a food safety expert to help you maintain a food safety culture in your establishment.
1 in 8 Canadians or 4 million people get sick from food each year, it is important to make food safety in your establishment a top priority. SGB Food Safety can help you with:
Food safety plans
Food safety assessments (inspections)
Provide certified food handler training
Data analysis
Assistance after poor health inspections
Self-auditing tools
Contact me at info@sgbfoodsafety.com or visit my website at sgbfoodsafety.com
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