Written Answers. - Food Hygiene Regulations.
Enda Kenny
Question:
172
Mr. Kenny
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the educational leaflets, public seminars or education programmes that exists for the application, implementation and monitoring of new hygiene regulations by the Food and Safety Authority; if persons involved in the operation of businesses concerned with these matters are entitled to have free access to such educational material and occasions; if he has satisfied himself that the law is being implemented evenly and equally in relation to these requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9536/00]
Enda Kenny
Question:
174
Mr. Kenny
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he will make a statement on the way equal standards of hygiene under the health regulations are to be monitored and implemented in premises where, due to registration, layout and kitchen requirements, differences apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9539/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 174 together.
The European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. No. 86 of 1998) give effect to EU Directive 93/43/EEC on the hygiene of foodstuffs. These regulations oblige proprietors of food businesses to ensure that their businesses are operated in a hygienic way. The rules of hygiene cover requirements for, inter alia, personal hygiene and training. The proprietor of a food business must ensure that food handlers are supervised and instructed and-or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity. Proprietors are also obliged to identify steps in the activities of a business which are critical to ensuring safety and ensure that adequate safety procedures are identified, implemented and reviewed. This is known as hazard analysis critical control points. The regulations also provide for the development of guides to good hygiene practice.
Since July of last year, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is responsible for the enforcement of all food safety legislation in Ireland, including those regulations dealing with food hygiene. The authority carries out its functions by means of service contracts with a range of official agencies, for example, health boards, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
I understand that the authority meets with health boards on a regular basis to monitor the implementation of the European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 1998. I also understand that the FSAI is currently in the process of developing a strategy to audit the official agencies in their enforcement of the food legis lation including, in the case of the hygiene of foodstuffs regulations, the health boards.
Funding has been provided for the introduction of a quality management system in the environmental health food control service and which has already been successfully pilot-tested in three health boards. This system aims to enable the food control service achieve external accreditation to ISO 9002 standard. The system requires the provision and maintenance of appropriate records, the design and introduction of nineteen standards operational procedures and a programme of ongoing training and professional development of environmental health staff.
The guides to good hygiene practice act as guides for industry on compliance with the provisions of the hygiene regulations. These guides were developed by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and agreed through working groups representative of regulators and industry. IS 340 deals with hygiene in the catering sector; IS 341 deals with hygiene in the food retailing-wholesaling sector; IS 342 deals with hygiene in the food processing industry; and IS 3219 deals with hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry. The standards identify, in as far as practicable, the specific requirements that must be met by the business sectors to which they are addressed. Enforcement officers must have regard to these guides in their inspections. The guides are available from the NSAI for a fee.
The FSAI is collaborating with the food industry sector and official food control agencies in a number of initiatives that focus on training workers in the food industry in food hygiene and safe handling. These initiatives are free of charge to the target groups.
The Food Safety Training Council was formed in 1999 and comprises representatives from all sectors of the food industry, training providers and inspectors. The aim of this council is to co-ordinate and improve food safety training and practice in Ireland and to develop guidelines for the inspection of effective training in the workplace.
After full consultation with the food industry and training providers the agreed approach is to develop standards based on competency. This means that the standards will specify what a food handler should know and be competent at for the level of job undertaken. Standards will be developed by sub-groups of the council for all sectors of the food industry. Sub-committees have now been formed by the council to agree expected standards of skills and knowledge required of all employees in the food industry in the area of food safety.
The FSAI is developing a database which will serve as a complete source of information for industry on training in food safety. The FSAI has been involved in direct training activities in the form of food safety lectures. In association with industry, the FSAI has delivered the food safety message directly to food handlers and business owners. In two series of nationwide seminars dur ing 1999 the FSAI delivered food hygiene lectures to over 600 owners and employees of catering and delicatessen-store businesses. These seminars were designed to promote safe food handling practices, particularly in the "fast-food" context, and were accompanied by a leaflet titled "Safe Food-to-Go" to reinforce the messages delivered.
The health boards have run seminars in relation to food hygiene e.g. in County Kildare, 800 business owners recently attended a series of meetings run by the health board in relation to HACCP, hazard analysis critical control points.
In addition to the FSAI initiatives referred to above, I draw the Deputy's attention to the Primary Food Hygiene Course, an initiative of the Environmental Health Officers Association aimed at raising standards in food safety which I launched in July 1999. Its objective is to provide staff involved in food preparation with adequate training in the basic principles of food hygiene. The course has been specially developed for Irish conditions and is being delivered to food workers in their workplaces by either environmental health officers or external tutors and is supported by a training video and a text book. A fee is charged for this course.
The National Hygiene Partnership, comprising CERT, the Irish Hotel and Catering Institute, Excellence Ireland, NSAI, the FSAI and my Department, have developed a number of training initiatives. The management of hygiene in the hospitality sector is delivered to supervisors-managers of food businesses. This course is based on the IS 340 as mentioned earlier. The partnership has recently updated its induction training booklet entitled "Hygiene Matters". This was launched by EU Commissioner, David Byrne, last Friday. A fee is charged for the course and the booklet.
I am pleased with the work undertaken to date by the FSAI since it took over responsibility for the enforcement of food safety legislation. I am satisfied that the regulations are being consistently enforced. The audit strategy of the FSAI, the existence of the guides to good hygiene practice and the quality management system being introduced in the health board environmental health services will support further the uniform application of the regulations.
