Roadtown, Tortola - Residents of the Territory are being told that proper food handling and good personal hygiene are vital to reducing the risk of food borne illnesses in the Virgin Islands.

This was the message from the Chief Environmental Health Officer of the Environmental Health Division, Mr. Carnel Smith and Environmental Health Officer, Mrs. Yolanda Penn, during a recent interview on the Department of Information and Public Relations’ Public Eye programme to discuss the Environmental Health Division’s Food Hygiene Program.

The Chief Environmental Health Officer stated that the Food Hygiene Programme is designed to protect all individuals, both residents and visitors, from food and water borne illnesses through the promotion of safe food handling practices.

 Mrs. Penn stated that “it is important for food handlers to renew their food handler cards every year by attending the Food Handlers Educational Sessions.” She added that “managers of food establishments should also provide ongoing training to food handlers to ensure that proper procedures and practices remain in place since educational sessions are annually updated.”

During the interview, Mr. Smith explained that once a food establishment has passed inspection, a food establishment license would be issued. He further explained that each license or certificate is colour coded according to the type of establishment inspected.

For example, restaurants and bars receive a red license, mobile units receive a green license, delis receive a gold license, while hotel restaurants and bars receive a blue license.

The Chief Environmental Health Officer advised that certificates are valid for one year from the date of inspection and noted that the lack of a certificate did not necessarily indicate that the establishment had failed inspection, but rather that “the facility had not been inspected as yet.”
 
The duo also shared vital information on proper hand washing techniques, the required temperatures for the storage of hot and cold foods in order to reduce the risk of food borne illnesses, as well as the regulations governing the Food Hygiene Programme in the Virgin Islands.

The Environmental Health Division is the Government agency under the portfolio of the Ministry of Health and Social Development responsible for the management of food hygiene, water quality and vector control programs as well as port health.