An islandwide raid initiated by the Health Ministry, to coincide with the ‘National Food Safety week,’ would be conducted today (21), as well. All food outlets which produce and market food items would be inspected.

A spokesman for the Health Ministry said five star hotels, restaurants and even small ‘bath kades’ will be inspected. Public Health Inspectors and Medical Health Officers will carry out the raid.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council, said they had inspected over eight hundred hotels, eating houses and restaurants and only 46 of them have been certified under Grade ‘A’, among hotels, restaurants or eating houses. Chief of the Public Health Department, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said they would be carrying out inspections in 30 more streets in the city.

He said hotels, restaurants and eating places graded ‘A’ and ‘B’, would be awarded certificates and plaques, while those graded as ‘C’ would only be awarded licenses. He said the Municipal Council has warned all substantial eating houses to improve on the quality of their services. "We would also order them to get the Minimum Hazard Analysis Critical Care Points (HACCP) before issuing licenses in the future, Dr. Kariyawasam said.

The Council will carry this out in collaboration with the National Chamber of Industries and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

He said they had been able to get a Court order for the closure of one eating house. But it was difficult to get Court orders in such cases. The country itself was more bent on having new places opening up. Therefore it was a slow process when it comes to implementing the law on other eating houses, however unclean and unhealthy they may be.