A "WEB SITE" FOR THE CONSUMER VIEWS-WILL THIS WORK?

Here is a system of safety vigilance that is transparent and which allows citizens to know the result of inspections by safety officials to restaurants, markets and other establishments connected with food service. Though it looks harsh on paper considering the bad publicity for those found wanting in maintaining minimum sanitary conditions, as the system has flexibility to correct if and when defaulters rectify the deficiencies, it can be considered mutually acceptable to the industry as well as the customers. This system is drastically different from the grading policy introduced in many metropolitan areas in many countries and is dynamic enough to carry the message clearly with no quarters for any misunderstanding or wrong interpretation. The new system is now in vogue in Louisiana state in the US and will be carefully watched by others to see how successful it will be in the long run.

"The state Department of Health and Hospitals introduced a website into this spirited environment Monday, but it's a website with a difference. Instead of evaluating the products on the plate, the website lets diners know about the cleanliness of the environments in which these dishes are created — the conditions of the sinks and garbage receptacles, for instance, as well as the temperatures of the dishwashers and freezers, the status of the plumbing and employee compliance with hand-washing regulations. "We're holding restaurants and other food establishments accountable," Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein said at a news conference where he announced and demonstrated the site. Website visitors will find reports compiled by sanitarians. Several times a year, these men and women inspect 31,975 sites — not only 16,017 restaurants but also 8,823 markets, 4,698 lounges and bars, and 2,437 day-care and residential-food preparation establishments. Some infractions can be corrected on the spot while others may be serious enough to require a follow-up inspection or, in extreme examples, closure until the flaws are corrected. Sanitarians' reports will be posted about a week after their visits, department spokeswoman Lisa Faust said. Although violations, such as a misplaced rag or bottle of cleanser, are inevitable, "our goal is not to find deficiencies," Greenstein said. "Our goal is to enhance food safety." Consumers have a right to the information, said Stan Harris, the Louisiana Restaurant Association's president and chief executive officer. "The customer should know how many critical and noncritical violations are addressed," he said. After three months — 60 days to work with consumers and the food industry, plus 30 days to test the technology — Greenstein said the system will be assessed to see whether changes are necessary. Unlike some inspection programs elsewhere, sanitarians will not assign letter grades to the places they inspect. "We have a grade, and it's pass-fail," Greenstein said. "If the sign says, 'Open,' they've passed." The system's predecessor, which has been down since Hurricane Katrina nearly six years ago, had used pelicans to denote quality, ranging from one (corrective action under way) to five (superior). Its technology never was strong enough to withstand the demand for information, Faust said.

Customers world over frequent eating places because of their confidence on the foods served by them, though safety and hygiene play lesser role than the taste, the ultimate criterion for loyalty. While in many developing countries food poisoning from restaurants is rarely reported, such episodes are frequent in western countries where population seem to be more vulnerable to food infection and consequent health impact. The success of the new system depends heavily on the sincerity and dedication of the health personnel who carry out inspection with diligence regularly. It is difficult to imagine that such a system will ever come to pass in a country like India where government health officials can easily be influenced by extraneous considerations, compromising the real situation.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com