“Fresh Drop” No Work!

Dr Nathalie Gibson of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) says food safety goes far beyond hairnets and handwashing, and that includes what happens when food hits the floor.

“Fresh drop doesn’t work…Once it touches the floor, that’s waste,” Gibson said during a recent food safety presentation, warning that any attempt to repackage or reuse dropped product poses a serious risk to consumers.

Gibson outlined a range of hygiene principles that BAHA monitors at food establishments, from how a facility is designed to whether pests are being kept out and whether employees are following proper health standards.

She also stressed that looking clean is not the same as being clean.

“It might look clean, but is someone checking to make sure before you start working that all the surfaces the food is going to be in contact with were adequately cleaned?” she asked.

Health inspectors also monitor whether management is ensuring a food safety culture is present within the business, rather than leaving it to workers alone. From storage practices to surface cleaning, it all falls under scrutiny during facility checks.

BAHA, which is approaching its 26th year of operation, is mandated to protect public health in Belize.