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The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that the inspections of beach diners carried out during the extended summer seasonal food chain inspection this year have produced positive results.
During the first two weeks of the two-month-long series, 241 establishments nationwide were inspected. The majority of these were operating in compliance with the legislation, but the inspectors also found shortcomings, mainly in the area of hygiene.
The Ministry of Agriculture explained that the inspection of beach diners focused on the hygiene of the restaurants, traceability, and handling of ingredients.
Particular attention was also paid to raw materials requiring refrigeration and adequate refrigeration capacity.
The inspectors also monitored specialized storage to ensure food safety and to avoid cross-contamination, as well as the health assessment of staff, in addition to the conditions for separate processing of raw materials. Samples of buffet products and ice-creams sold in beach bars were taken for microbiological and analytical laboratory tests. The use of so-called substitute products (imitations) and the provision of adequate information to consumers were also closely monitored.
As a result, general hygiene shortcomings were identified.
The lack of hygienic hand washing equipment and incorrect washing technology were also found to be faults. In addition, workers did not always have valid health documents. Among student workers, lack of hygiene training was a common deficiency.
The small size of beach diners also led to a number of problems with incorrect procedures: the combined storage of raw materials, semi-finished, and finished products. In several establishments, the temperature in the refrigeration rooms was not checked at all or not properly documented.
Photo: Facebook/Gyulai Várfürdő
In the buffets inspected, the use of so-called “imitation” products did not exceed the national level of 60-40 percent.
At the same time, where ‘fresh cream’ was substituted for sour cream or ‘sticks’ for sausages, consumers were not properly informed.
However, the results of laboratory tests carried out so far on 79 ice cream and 19 buffet samples give cause for optimism. The experience of the inspections shows that the diners are generally reliable and comply with the provisions of the relevant legislation.
Via MTI, Featured photo via Pixabay