AFTER CRAB CIRCLE, ST ANN COUNCIL TOLD ONLY MINIMUM STANDARDS MAINTAINED
Mayor of St Ann’s Bay Sydney Stewart (left)
The St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC) heard at its monthly meeting, Thursday, Oct. 12, that public health inspectors could do little to ensure food safety among street-side food vendors across the parish.
Councillor for the Ocho Rios Division of the SAMC, Michael Belnavis, raised the matter, referencing what happened at Crab Circle in Kingston. He said he wanted to know what public health inspectors were doing to ensure food safety and to monitor the activities of food vendors on the streets. Mr Belnavis said he was all for vending but wanted to know what was being served on the street was safe and being done to standards.
Chief Public Health Inspector for St Ann, Leroy Scott said most people were aware that street vending was not regulated. He said public health inspectors were not able to monitor street vendors and their efforts were mainly at formal food establishments. He said most street vending operations could not be licensed or certified. He said the best that could be done was to see that minimum standards were met.
Here is some of what he said:
