Training must for staff of closed food outlets in Kerala for reopening

Training in food safety and hygiene standards would be mandatory for the employees of all food business outlets which were issued closure notice for failing to comply with the food safety norms under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, a statement issued by Health Minister Veena George said here on Tuesday.

The FSS Act insists on food safety training and certification (FoSTaC) for all persons handling food in business outlets engaged in cooking and selling food.

When food business outlets which had been issued closure notice are allowed to function again, all of the employees of these outlets should have secured FoSTaC within the first two weeks. Training in food safety and hygiene standards will help ensure that food served to the public is safe to consume

Already, employees of 35 eateries in Thiruvananthapuram district which had been issued closure notices have been imparted training. About 110 persons, including the owners of food business outlets, participated in the training.

The aim was to create awareness on the food safety guidelines in Schedule 4 of the FSS Act. Food safety officials who took the classes also cleared the doubts raised by the trainees.

Meanwhile, the Food Safety department’s hygiene rating has been secured by 785 food businesses. The details of the outlets will be made available on the website of the food safety wing.