As the New Year dawns, restaurants and suppliers should wipe the slate clean and step up the pace to improve their hygiene standards. I talk predominantly, of course, about Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, or what is more commonly known as HACCP.
Originally established in the 1960s by NASA for its manned space missions, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the catering industry really began to adopt this set of procedures, and up until recently, many hotels and restaurants in the Middle East had not even started to apply them.
At the turn of this year, all five-star hotels should be HACCP certified, but when I speak to chefs, a wry smile appears on their faces as they say they are close, but not quite there. There are many reasons for this, but primarily it is due to depleted funds at the end of the year. Implementing HACCP includes employing a certified company to train staff, and then another company to certify the hotel. Also, with the deadline for HACCP certification set for the end of last year, the Municipality and certified HACCP companies have been working tirelessly to make sure that hotels are up to standard; so the deadline has been extended.
I am not saying hotels are swimming with infestation and lacking basic hygiene standards; far from it. Many four- and five-star kitchens I have visited are spotless, and only the odd few have been a little precarious.
The issue is that the regulations need to be enforced, not just for five-star hotels, but across the entire industry from the producer and supplier, to the distributor and all restaurants, whether in a five-star hotel category or in the back streets of Bur Dubai.
This month,
Caterer
visited Deira fish market in Dubai to observe hygiene conditions, and although there are some regulations in place, it is evident there is still a long way to go.
The Municipality, in its defence, is looking at upgrading the market’s facilities and has inspectors on site, so the problem is gradually being solved, but this can only be done with the help of the Municipality, the chefs, the purchasing departments, and the suppliers. If they all work together, the issue can be fully addressed and steps can be taken to make it a complete HACCP-friendly industry.
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