Restaurants and ministry want better cooperation

WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao Restaurant Association (CRA) and the Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature (GMN) want better cooperation. That is one of the results of a meeting that took place on March 2.

The ministry is charged with inspecting hygiene at various companies, including restaurants. Here they check whether everything is in accordance with the established rules, whereby hygiene plays a major role.

Unfortunately, it often happens that ministry officials and the owner or manager get into a discussion because of poor understanding or not being well informed.

The public health department (GGD) uses a checklist with various important checkpoints to which a score is attached. A score below 90 often means that a company does not meet one or more points, after which the company is given the opportunity to improve this, usually under the instruction from the GGD.

During the meeting, both parties discussed how can help each other better, so that both restaurants and GGD can bring quality and hygiene to a better level.

They also talked about information sessions and training given by GMN / GGD, working on and improving procedures, improving the inspection system, which will look at improving the subject matter and exams. The intention is to be able to do this online in the near future and to eventually switch to the HACCP system.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a food safety system. Companies that handle food prevent the safety of food from being endangered. For each phase in the production, the company maps out what can go wrong and how this can be prevented).

"In this pleasant and informative conversation, it has become clear that cooperation will be a good solution for both parties in order to jointly arrive at a correct control standard with important points for the members as well as non-members of the CRA," said a CRA representative.

This makes it possible to work on a quality mark for restaurants, so that the customer can assume that these are in accordance with the rules and standards drawn up by the GMN and the CRA.




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