JAPHI Warns Non-Compliant Food Establishments

President of the Jamaica Association of Public Health Inspectors (JAPHI), Karen Brown, is warning non-compliant food establishments on the island that if they continue to operate unlawfully, they can be shut down and even prosecuted.
“We have seen in the media where persons have purchased food from establishments and would have appeared to have succumbed to food poisoning related to purchasing food from establishments which may not have met the requirements, so these are some of the risks,” Ms. Brown said.
“We do not have enough public health inspectors [so] we want persons to take responsibility to ensure that when they are setting up any food establishment, they go to the health department and ensure that they meet the requirements, because if they do not meet the requirements, action could be taken against them when the public health inspector comes out and eventually does the monitoring,” she added.
Ms. Brown was a addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank which was held at the agency’s Montego Bay Regional Office recently.
She further stated that business establishments can be closed and taken to court and fined for not complying with the public health requirements.
“I have even seen persons being imprisoned depending on the severity [of the situation],” she stated.
The President noted that the growing number of food establishments on the island continue to be a concern, as many are not registered.
“This is definitely a concern… there are challenges on the ground in monitoring all these establishments that are mushrooming, we cannot be as vigilant as we would want to. We are calling on the public to ensure that at best they [food establishments] do have a public health license, that pink certificate and persons can look and be their own public health inspectors to determine whether or not that place looks sanitary enough for you to purchase food, because you could be taking chances with your life,” Ms. Brown said.