John Bruton
Question:129 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself with the hygiene training being given to people during summer or temporary work in the food retailing sector. [15441/01]
Written Answers. - Food Hygiene Training.
I am aware of the peaks in the incidence of foodborne illness that occur over the summer months. The reasons for the increases are varied and complex and are in part due to temporary food workers not being adequately trained.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland – FSAI – has a remit to protect consumers' health. It does so by ensuring that food legislation is fully enforced. It also provides training support to food control agencies who work under contract to the FSAI and who provide food safety and food hygiene education to producers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and caterers.
It is a legal requirement that staff involved in the food chain are adequately trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity. The responsibility for training and supervision of staff lies clearly with the proprietor of every food business. This is the case for all staff, whether they are part-time, full-time or casual, or whether they are employed in the public or private sector.
The FSAI is setting training standards which must be demonstrated at various stages of employment in order to produce safe food in accordance with current legislation, and in line with best practice. These training standards will be used by enforcement officers during inspections to ascertain the level of training in place, and industry's compliance with the relevant legislation.
Training standards are outlined in a series of guides which are currently being prepared by the FSAI. Each guide is being produced in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders in the Irish food industry. Intended to be user-friendly for employers on training of staff in food safety, these guides will be used by enforcement officers when assessing food safety training in the workplace. To assist the employer, each guide will also outline the activities which are necessary to support the training and which will allow the employee to demonstrate best practice.
The guide which is the most suitable for the training of temporary staff in the retail sector is titled Food Safety Training Standard – Level One. It outlines the training which must be demonstrated at induction stage of employment. The guide will be officially launched next week and I will arrange for it to be distributed by the FSAI to the food retail sector immediately thereafter.
In June 2001 the FSAI will launch a major initiative aimed at bringing together the relevant enforcement and education authorities to develop a strategy for food safety training. This initiative will focus particularly on transient workers in the food industry, and will address the need to develop appropriate training strategies for those workers where English is not their first language.