The Mayor and City Council was on Monday briefed on an incident involving a city food shop that was ordered to undergo cleaning, after an inspection by the Food and Hygiene Department revealed substandard conditions.
At the council’s statutory meeting, constituency councillor, Tricia Richards, requested an update on an issue of reported bad conditions at Roti Plus on Sheriff Street.
The Chief Meat and Food Inspector, Onika Alleyne-Blackman, told the council that a report would be submitted on the matter at the next Public Health and Markets committee meeting. However, that response was not sufficient for the council, as that committee has not met for some time. Richards added that the matter is of importance to the council and the public and stated that an update should be given, as persons continuously go to the establishment.
According to the officer, the establishment was inspected by city officials and at the time of the inspection, when the conditions were discovered, the owners of the establishment were asked to immediately close and clean the establishment. “Roti Plus was inspected and at the time of inspection, when those conditions were found, they were asked to immediately do some clean-up, which they did,” the officer told the council. The officer added that a subsequent visit to the establishment showed that the establishment was cleaned and they had so far maintained the conditions.
When Stabroek News contacted the establishment, one of the senior staff members of the restaurant, who asked to not be named, stated that it was inspected by city inspectors about one month ago. The official went on to say that subsequent to the inspection, they were not forced to close the restaurant down. “The inspection was carried out but it’s not like they found the place in an insanitary condition, the place might need some painting but that’s all,” the worker, who asked not to be named said. The individual went on to say that the restaurant was never in a state where food was contaminated or open to contamination of any kind, however, the building might have needed some work as it is old.
Councillors questioned if the request for establishments to close and clean up are the only penalties handed out to food establishments when unhealthy conditions are discovered, with councillor Heston Bostwick asking about one of the many Chinese restaurants which were found with clogged grease traps.
The officer responded stating that though the grease traps are under the control of the Guyana Water Inc., they would still be inspected. “What we are finding in Georgetown itself even though the grease traps would be cleaned on a regular basis, because of the sewage system and the overflow and overburden that we place on the system, even though the trap may be cleaned today, you find that when you look back at those traps, they still have water and the grease would…come to the top,” the officer stated. She went on to say that if the sewage system cannot be upgraded, issues like that will continuously occur.
