FOOD PREMISES Health Department Report Criticised

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32324, 16 June 1970, Page 18

FOOD PREMISES Health Department Report Criticised

“Extravagant” claims by some Department of Health officers on food premises in Christchurch were criticised by Cr N. G. Pickering, chairman of the health and clean air committee, at the City Council meeting last evening.

He said there had been appallingly bad public relations by the department after it had made the evaluation of food premises. A report in “The Press” had said the officers found the general standard of food preparation well below the minimum level necessary to prevent food poisoning, the spread of food-borne illness and food spoilage. There was, first, no record over the last three years of any major outbreak of food poisoning within the city area involving food premises registered by the council, Cr Pickering said. Second, the survey was made by officers who had no responsibility for enforcement of the appropriate regulations in the council's district, nor did their interpretations have to be supported, if need be, before a Magistrate’s Court Third, an examination of some of the “evaluation” forms and the statistics supplied by the department did not support the general impression given in the department’s statements of premises being “well below” the regulation standards. No Notices Supporting this, Cr Pickering said three reports produced showed that the pre-

11 raises had been “demerited’’ c four points solely for not havL ing a required notice, such " as a dog notice or registrae tion certificate, displayed, j Therefore they were’included in the 88 per cent of food premises “well below regulad tion standards” and “likely to e cause food poisoning.” ;-! “This interpretation is pat-i-iently absurd, yet minor items Jof this nature in many food e premises are being used to s 1 cause alarm and concern to I the public,” he said. j It appeared that the def partment spokesmen not only j! emphasised the worst aspect, a but failed to state that their .own figures showed 44 per r.cent had only two items “demerited” and a large number sjof these for such trivial a items as notices not being ‘.(displayed. •i Wash Basins •j The report said that the - main consideration on wash- , hand basins was the - “usability” of the units and not simply whether such (facilities were actually ’ ,present in some part of the , -premises. Twenty-two per ilcent of premises were “de- . -’merited” on this score. j -i “Yet this council took three . . test cases to determine this ' simatter in the Magistrates . !Court some years ago: and all were dismissed on the basis that the premises complied - with the regulations,” said • Mr Pickering. -i The Director-General of

Health (Dr D. P. Kennedy) had said regulations should be administered in a reasonable manner, Cr Pickering continued. “His views are obviously in conflict with those of his own department’s officers if this type of evaluation is continued. The evaluation system was not considered effective or realistic. It could be varied in almost any way the survey officers. determined, and two persons could have completely different statistical results. A number of other local authorities in addition to the council did not run the faulty “hygiene-by-num-bers” system because of; objections which were now all, too apparent. ‘At Fault’

Nationally, the statistics issued claim 91 per cent failure, as opposed to 70 per cent four years ago, he said. “In other words the Department of Health claims that local authorities have done nothing in this period, and throughout the country have failed to carry out their duties and responsibilities. “This surely is not acceptable and therefore the evaluation system is at fault and should be discarded. “During the last 18 months alone, as a result of action by this council’s staff, 80 food premises have closed, 82 have been completely altered and renovated: in addition, 62 new premises have been registered. ... At the beginning of this year the council adopted a progressive programme aimed at taking more effective action where sub-standard premises were still found, and the committee has had before it a number of proprietors of such premises to show cause why their registrations should not be cancelled.” Not Registered Some premises included in| the survey were not even registered by the council.! Some matters commented on| were clearly under the food; and drugs legislation which; the department administered; and refused to hand over to local authorities.

“It is not disputed that I, much more has to be done by |' the trade, local authorities' and the Government departments concerned to improve , the preparation, handling and sale of food. This must, however, be put into proper per- ’ spective. It is not the only, or ' even the major, matter of ' public health concern in our communities. I “Nevertheless, I would like ’ to feel that all local authori- ' ties, including this council, ’ would clearly accept the need to provide adequate staff and give ungrudging support to any proper enforcement as 1 well as education,” said Cr Pickering. The council agreed with Cr ! Pickering that an approach 1 should be made to the Muni-i 1 cipal Association on all I aspects of the matter to ensure that representations were made to the Government that any proposed amendment to regulations should be madt available to all local authorities for full consideration before being adopted.