The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, has awarded six food establishments for their food hygiene standards and practices.
The restaurants, which are all located in the catchment area of the Randall Phillips Polyclinic at Oistins, Christ Church, were presented with their star rating awards recently, during a ceremony at the Sea Breeze Hotel, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Kenneth George, pointed out during the presentation that food safety was extremely important in a tourist destination like Barbados and high standards must be maintained. He added that the programme started at the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, and the Ministry plans to roll it out at other polyclinics.
He advised that the programme must be set in the context of environmental health, which included health monitoring at both the air and sea ports. The Acting Chief Medical Officer went on to explain that his Ministry, through its Port Health Programme, had signed on to International Health Regulations in 2005, and was working to meet the required international standards.
Chief Executive Officer at the Barbados Tourism Product Authority, Dr. Kerry Hall, also addressed awardees during the ceremony. She agreed that restaurants were critical and important to Barbados??? tourism product, and maintained that as a result, food must be of a high standard and quality.
Adding that friendliness, cleanliness, safety and security were the hallmark of Barbados??? tourism product, Dr. Hall noted that the safety element included health aspects, such as the avoidance of food borne illnesses. According to her, issuing star rating awards was an important initiative in addressing such matters.
Three restaurants run by the Sea Breeze Hotel – Azul, Mermaid and Fishpot received four and a half stars each. The following restaurants received a four star rating: Paulo’s Churrasco Do Brazil, Lucky Horseshoe at Worthing, Pom Marine???s Moscovado and Golden Apple; Chicken Barn at Coverley; and Oceans 2 Hotel???s Oasis Bar and Quencher’s Bar & Restaurant.
kim.ramsay-moore@barbados.gov.bb