Editorial | Return to basic hygiene

Closure of the world-famous Boston Jerk Centre in Portland for poor hygiene practices, coming sharply on the heels of a viral video of a St James woman relieving herself around her stall and the unsanitary act of the now-infamous Crab Circle vendor in National Heroes Circle, Kingston, point to disgusting acts relating to the food business.

The public health consequences of poor food hygiene practices could be dire for the nation, especially as these do not appear to be isolated cases. These examples from Portland, St James and Kingston suggest that a disturbing pattern of nastiness is growing throughout the island and that the personal hygiene of food handlers requires greater vigilance from public health authorities.

In the case of Boston, the Portland health authorities cited poor sanitation, unhealthy practices and the selling of uninspected meat, among the breaches. The operator’s failure to meet minimum public health standards is said to have been happening over a prolonged period, leaving the authorities no option but to order it closed.

We imagine that an eating facility which is closed for hygiene breaches is likely to suffer reputational damage. Boston Jerk Centre was shut down in 2016 for similar breaches. And, once more, they are being named and shamed because of below-par food safety. The operators should understand that, in the current social-media age, it takes only one viral video to cripple a business. Note that two of the examples cited above were exposed by social-media videos.

PUBLIC INTEREST

In the public’s interest, there must be clear visibility around which food establishments are safe and which ones could make people sick. Take , for example, food businesses which are growing up around various bus stops and sidewalks in the Corporate Area, with no obvious water supply or sanitary convenience. They are being ignored by the authorities and allowed to thrive and expand. We absolutely get it that small businesses must be encouraged as persons seek to eke out a livelihood for their survival, but they should also operate within the rules and not be allowed to put their customers at risk.

One of the most important lessons learnt from the deadly COVID-19 virus is that good hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing with soap, could combat the spread of disease. These are lessons taught by parents in long-gone days. And among the lessons reinforced during the pandemic is that there are several moments throughout the day when handwashing becomes critical: before eating, after using the toilet, after touching well-used surfaces in public spaces, and after handling animals.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness should be very aggressively pressing home these basic hygiene lessons, for it seems all has been forgotten.

There are an estimated 500 public health inspectors serving the country. A cursory observation of downtown Kingston suggests that there are enough public health breaches occurring in the market district that could keep all 500 inspectors on their toes for weeks.

We therefore ask the questions: Is there a plan to recruit and train more public health inspectors to ensure markets, abattoirs, restaurants, and places that serve the public are safe? When the monthly public health reports come before the municipalities, do they get the attention they deserve with a commitment to make monitoring more rigorous?

Of course, the greatest vigilance should come from the customer. Understanding what to look for will help. Specifically, is there cleaning and sanitising occurring regularly, and what about the personal hygiene of those who prepare food and those who serve?

A member of the public cannot, however, look behind the counter to see how food is stored, how garbage is disposed of, and whether there are pests running around and food is properly refrigerated. We must count on our public health officials to pierce behind the walls and see exactly what is happening.

We repeat here the wise advice of the World Bank which says promoting good hygiene is the most cost-effective action to ward off disease.