Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/913/-1/126/
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NEW RULES FOR FOOD HANDLERS Comply Or Face Rejection
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A meeting called on Tuesday March 19 by the Environmental Health Unit in Anguilla for the launching of new procedures for the issuing of Food Handlers Permits, was sparsely attended at the Teachers’ Resource Centre, but the message is clear. All Food Handlers on the island will be required to conform to the rules and obtain certification or be denied permission to operate their food business.
The main aim is to prevent distribution of food which is unhygienic, contaminated or otherwise harmful to health. In this regard, all Food Handlers are to be educated in proper methods of food handling through the holding of a number of compulsory instructive sessions throughout the island and they must pass a test after that. The stipulations have come about as a result of the large number of food supply outlets at the road side and other places, the fact that only a small percentage of persons have applied for permits and the growing threat to healthy eating.
Under the arrangement, new applicants will be required to complete an application form and take a stool sample at the Princess Alexandria Hospital for lab analysis, (paying a fee of EC$20); collect the test result and go to a District Health Clinic for a medical examination and pay a fee of $30 there. If the test is positive, the doctor will prescribe treatment and a re-testing at the hospital lab will have to be repeated until a negative result is obtained. Only after the applicant passes the test can the application for a Food Handlers Permit be registered. The next step is for the applicant to attend a compulsory education session and pass a test before being issued with a Pass Certificate, an Identification Card and a Food Handlers Permit.
Payment for a permit will be made on a two-year basis, but food handlers must attend an annual compulsory education session. A fee of $60 is to be paid to the Environmental Health Unit for processing the application and for the educational session every two years. The Treasury Department will charge $15 for a Food Handlers Identification Card on successful completion of the education session.
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Participants at the launching ceremony
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The launching of the new procedures was marked by a short programme under the chairmanship of Environmental Health Officer, Oliver Hodge, who delivered the welcome address. Other speakers were Acting Permanent Health, Foster Rogers, who spoke on Food Control and Economic Development; Principal Nursing Officer, Serene Carter-Davis whose topic was The Impact of Food-borne Illness; Principal Environmental Health Officer, Lynrod Brooks, who outlined the Food Handlers Education Certification Programme; and the Director of Food and Beverage at Cap Juluca Hotel, Jeff David, who spoke on Food Safety and Tourism. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Environmental Health Officer, Leroy Richardson.
Launching of Food Handlers’ Rules. L-R: Leroy Richardson, Oliver Hodge, Jeff David, PNO Serene Carter Davis, Foster Rogers and Lynrod Brooks
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