Minister calls for review of food inspection system
Backlog of checks to be finished by end of the month
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, May 22, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The food establishment inspection system in the territory will undergo a "program audit," says the minister of Health and Social Services.
Glen Abernethy also said Wednesday a backlog of inspections will be addressed by the end of the month. The minister has also asked for the person in charge of the food inspection division, who took over after a retirement in April, to make the issue his top priority.
The program audit will look at "whether we're doing things as efficiently as we can so we can maximize our time so we can get in and do these inspections on a regular basis," Abernethy said.
He added it will also help the department improve the system to make sure inspections are being done on time. Abernethy wants the audit completed before the fall territorial election.
Those moves by the department follow a News/North story that highlighted problems with the frequency of inspections and public posting of records.
Places that serve, prepare, store and handle food are checked for compliance with a series of regulations by the department to ensure the safety of consumers.
The results are then supposed to be posted on the department's website for each establishment, but in some cases they have not been posted.
A review by the newspaper found at least six food establishments that have not been checked for compliance with health regulations for two or more years, in contravention of department policy.
The department's policy states high risk food establishments - like full scale restaurants - have to be inspected three times per year.
One restaurant had not been inspected since 2012. It was checked May 12, a week after the newspaper asked about its last inspection.
Jeremy Roberts, an inspector, said he was OK with letting some locations go unchecked for years because he knows the operators and is comfortable that they are following standards.
News/North chose not to name the locations because there's nothing to suggest they are unsafe.
Pierre LePage, chef at The Lodge at Aurora Village and former operator of several city restaurants, said regular inspections are important to maintain oversight of food safety.
"If you don't do inspections, it's going to get out of control," he said, citing several examples of how unsafe practices can develop in a kitchen.
"Places not to code should be inspected until they come up to code so the public is safe," he said.
The minister said he became aware of the gap in inspections in February when chief public health officer Andre Corriveau brought it to his attention. Corriveau is in charge of the food inspection division.
The division, which inspects food locations across the territory, has a staff of seven. Three of those are focused on city establishments.
However, several positions are vacant. Abernethy said the main corrective action the department undertook starting in February was to fill those remaining positions. There are still two positions vacant.
Corriveau will be "monitoring very closely" the inspections that are being carried out, Abernethy said.
That means he'll be getting quarterly reports one what's been done and what's left to inspect. Previously those status reports were annual.
"So we want to be more on top of it so we can make sure these things are getting done on a regular basis," Abernethy said.
The minister also said the website that hosts the inspection reports could use some work.
"It's not the easiest website to read," he said, adding the site could be part of the program audit.
The inspectors don't just carry out food establishment checks.
If they find a food establishment is coming up short during an inspection, they can provide on-site coaching, Abernethy said.
They also provide safe food handling training. In 2014, they held 10 two-day sessions in person or by Telehealth, a video conference system.
