Environmental Health Reports in Caithness

[Rheghead]

Some good, some bad, eat at your own peril...

I am glad Highland Council have resumed publishing these after a 2 year break.

http://195.173.143.171/prots/eh-insp...blishments.htm

[lazytown]

Some good, some bad, eat at your own peril...

I am glad Highland Council have resumed publishing these after a 2 year break.

http://195.173.143.171/prots/eh-insp...blishments.htm

Most of these reports are a year plus out of date, the ones that have been carried out within the last 6 months (well at the places I eat or buy food from) seem to be okay.

But with any report like this it is just like a Car MOT, it is only valid at the time the examination was done.

[Metalattakk]

I can't imagine that the food hygiene standards of yore were any better than (in fact, I doubt they were anywhere close to) they are now, under these strict new formulas.

Can any of the 'older' members of the forum tell me if the standards of food preparation, storage, and workplace hygiene in 'the olden days' led to any more occurrences of say, something like food poisoning or a fair old dose of the skoor, than happens today?

I don't believe they did.

So my question is:

Do we really need such stringent food hygiene policies?

[Julia]

Very interesting reading, I certainly won't be eating from the nearby Chinese takeaway again, their list of problems is huge and the inspection was done quite recently too!

[Rheghead]

Very interesting reading, I certainly won't be eating from the nearby Chinese takeaway again, their list of problems is huge and the inspection was done quite recently too!

I've noticed that Charlie Chans seems to get good reports, too far for Wick though.

[_Ju_]

I can't imagine that the food hygiene standards of yore were any better than (in fact, I doubt they were anywhere close to) they are now, under these strict new formulas.

Can any of the 'older' members of the forum tell me if the standards of food preparation, storage, and workplace hygiene in 'the olden days' led to any more occurrences of say, something like food poisoning or a fair old dose of the skoor, than happens today?

I don't believe they did.

So my question is:

Do we really need such stringent food hygiene policies?

The food was not grown/reared intensly. It was not transported for hundreds of miles and over ages of time. It was not processed and ready for consumption with no futher processing. Antibiotics were not rife, not having induced multiple resistances into the infecting organisms nor had our immune systems been weakened by excessive cleansing. So could we work under "the olden days" criteria....? Sure we could, but more people would die of food poisoning.

[northener]

So my question is:

Do we really need such stringent food hygiene policies?

No!

But we do need more regular policing of premises involved with food products.

.

[Metalattakk]

Sure we could, but more people would die of food poisoning.

I get what you're saying, _Ju_, but how many people today die from food poisoning?

[DeHaviLand]

I get what you're saying, _Ju_, but how many people today die from food poisoning?

lets see, 119 in England and Wales in 2000 !And the World Health Organisation estimates that in Asia 700,000 people die from food poisoning each year.
I think I prefer the strict regulation.

[Metalattakk]

Source?

How do those figures compare against the figures from say, 50 years ago?

[hotrod4]

Looking at the dates on some of these it looks like some places havent been inspected for a long time.
As a qualified chef I believe these inspections should be very thorough. As establishments cater for the public they have to be immaculate. It is a safeguard for members of the public. They should introduce a system that they have in New zealand where the owners have to prominently display the results of the inspection.That way you know if the place you are going to is clean and has any potential hazards and you can make an informed choice.I agree that it is only valid for the time it was inspected but it does give you an indication of how clean the premises is as the inspections are random and unannounced.
the reason there is more poisoning etc is due to bacteria becoming resilient to basic cleaning and food nowadays passes through so many "hands" as years ago owners went to butchers and that was it, now they buy from large companies where the food is processed by various firms before owners receive them.
The main bacteria is staphlycocus which can be killed by basic handwashing as it is a skin borne virus that we all carry, so beware of establishments where hand washing was an issue!

[_Ju_]

I get what you're saying, _Ju_, but how many people today die from food poisoning?

20% of people infected with Listeria die, with the USA having about 2500 diagnosed cases a year ( that makes 500 deaths). The actions of one butcher in Lanarkshire that were not up to the required hygiene practices killed 17 and made 500 people seriously ill. Some infections can cause long term effects such as artheritis (campylobacteriosis) or Brucellosis (debilitating Malta fever). Just a few and just bacteria.
Food poisoning does not necessarily mean getting the runs and a tummy ache and even then, these cost alot of money in terms of loss of production, sick leave and treatments.

[_Ju_]

Source?

How do those figures compare against the figures from say, 50 years ago?

The way people dealt with food 50 years ago was completely different. How many times did your great-nan go a buy a chinese or a ready meal? You are trying to compare chalk and cheese. There is absolutly no comparison possible, from the initial production , through processing systems and transport, to the kithchen and the fork. They have nothing in comon. The systems are intensive and the food, as someone has said before, go through so many processes and are often ready to eat on purchase. This did not happen 50 years ago, when agriculture was more extensive than intensive and families bought produce often directly from the producer and did all the processing at home. People 50 years ago were also alot more informed about how to prepare and conserve food 50 years ago than now, when microwaving a ready meal challeges the abilities of so many.
A century ago, typhoid fever, tuberculosis and cholera were common foodborne diseases. Improvements in food safety, such as pasteurization of milk, safe canning, and disinfection of water supplies stopped those diseases. Modern systems mean other diseases have opportunity.

[Metalattakk]

A well thought-out, well presented post there, _Ju_. Nice one.

In fact, I can't argue against a word you said.

I suppose these food regulations are a small price to pay for having ready-to-eat food delivered straight to our restaurant's and fast-food outlet's fridges and freezers.

As an aside, I wonder how many of us are aware of correct storage temperatures, re-heating times and cooking temperatures in our own kitchens?