Dodgy food !

Whenever we eat out we take a health risk. The vast majority of hotels, restaurants and cafes have strict hygiene standards, but scattered amongst them are food servers who range from the filthy to the slightly careless.

All those who prepare food to be served to the public are subject to regular inspection by food inspectors. There are laws to be observed, and harsh penalties apply for putting public health at risk.

The problem is that enforcement of these laws is not uniform. In some cases the inspectors rely on constant warnings and recently there have been moves to " name and shame " dodgy " operators.

Even that introduces controversy. Should " name and shame " occur at the first breach of the rules ? What constitutes an offence serious enough for such a draconian penalty ? How do you ensure that the offender is not the victim of an over zealous or spiteful official ?

Food inspection will always be suspect when it is administered by a local authority. Politics come into the equation and those with influence will be treated differently to the small operator striving to make a living, but without the skills and background to do it well.

The inspection of food facilities would be better regulated on a state basis. A better result would be obtained by people with no affinity to any particular region making irregular and un-announced visits to all food outlets, and with the authority to close those found to be unacceptable until the required improvements are demonstrated.

Illness and disease from poorly prepared food is a serious matter. At present the regime for weeding out dodgy operators leaves a lot to be desired.

Perhaps the only option for those who value their health is to be selective in choosing eating out venues. There is a lot to commend those small businesses where the cooking is done in front of the patron.

There is safety in the motto of " What you see is what you get ! "