Food outlets to be graded

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The Health Ministry will inspect hotels, restaurants, eating houses, bakeries, tea shops and places where food and beverages are sold from November 28 to 30 and grade them. The inspection and grading will be done countrywide, a ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said the inspection and grading of food outlets will be carried out on the direction of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. Minister Sirisena took this decision following public complaints to the ministry. The main objective of this is ensuring the safety of food sold to the people.

"Once the grading is done, the public can identify the good and bad places. The best, safe and hygienic eating houses will be graded under A category. The public can identify them through the board on display. Eating houses which sell unhygienic food will be graded as C and D. It will be displayed on boards allowing the public to avoid such places," he said.

During the inspection and grading, priority will be given to eating houses and tea shops along road sides. Grade A eating houses will be inspected on a random to ensure the safety of food available. The inspection and grading will be done countrywide at Public Health Inspectors divisional level.