A restaurant located in north of the island has been given the green light to reopen its doors after it was shut down by health and environment officials.
Chief Environmental Officer, Anthony Scotland, said about 11 individuals were diagnosed with “food-borne intoxication” after they consumed infected saltfish at the restaurant, forcing the officials to step in.
He said the establishment has reopened after several health measures were put in place by its owners.
Scotland noted that investigations into the matter revealed that the common source of the the food poisoning was infected saltfish and the owners were instructed to close shop.
He said operations are now back to normal. “Instructions were given to the restaurant owners and the food handlers on the management of food,” he said.
He noted that workers at the restaurant have been certified to handle food and remedial work on the restaurant to improve storage and rodent control, has been done.
I don’t think names should be hidden. I live in the us and they always have restaurant alerts. People have a right to be informed. The health dept don’t play here. They actually put grades on food services windows and let u know what grades they got like a b c, pending e. t. c. I believe people should be given a choice.
They should have sued the restaurant!
In my work I travel a lot and find myself eating in restaurants several times every week. I have made five trips into the Caribbean staying as long as sixteen weeks once. Naturally, this news report of a restaurant in Dominica being shut down because of contaminated food causing illness caught my attention. Please allow me as a Canadian hoping to visit your beautiful island someday to make a comment or two. (1) You are not alone. It happens in my country to (and I expect everywhere). As a young person I worked in several big fashionable restaurants. In the best of them – a restaurant with a city-wide catering service – a customer once found a snake head in a piece of pie! (2) Only those who work in the industry know how easily and quickly there can be an “invasion” of unwanted critters. If it’s a customer who notices it first it spells TROUBLE. But if it results in an illness it’s even worse. (3) The swift action by the Department of Enironmental Health is to be commended. This only increases my confidence in Dominica’a restaurants. If I visit your country I will not hesitate to eat out! (4) I commend the owners/managers of this business for correcting the problem so quickly. Those who serve food in your establishment can hold their heads high. (5) I appreciate that DNO did not publish the name of this restaurant. You showed an example of good reporting and ethical journalism. There is no need for their business to suffer because of a one time incident that easily happens in the industry. I am sure it will cause to be more watchful. Hopefully it will serve as a wake-up call to all who are in the hosptality business, especially those who serve meals. Because you are an i
As somebody who travels in my work (I’m an evangelist), and has made five trips into the Caribbean, I would like to comment on this. I find myself eating in restaurants often three or four times a week so this story caught my attention. Only those who work in the restaurant business know the challenge preventing this kind of an outbreak. I commend the Department of Enviromental Health for taking swift action. But I also want to commend the restaurant owners/managers for moving quickly to correct the problem. DNO did he right thing not to publish the name of the restaurant. There is no need to hurt an otherwise good business because of an incident that happened once and was corrected in such a professional manner. Seeing how this was dealt with gives me confidence in all concerned. If I visit Dominica I will not hestitate to eat in your restaurants even in the north of the island! Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Pentecostal Evangelist.
Our health is important. They have found fingers and all other sorts of upsetting matters in the menu. I have heard and read a lot through the Media which has decreased my enthusiasm in eating out unless I have to, for a special occasion. Even then I am careful where I eat and what I eat.
I also read on a Website about the best days to dine at restaurants that stale foods will not be served.
Restaurant and fast food outlets owners must be careful what they serve their patrons. They could lose their reputation, their license and be sued for exorbitant sums of money.
I recently read of what some nationals of other countries eat which is upsetting to us in the western world. Some of them eat every living thing. I said to someone I will no longer go to such restaurants and also self-serve ones.
I have commenced thinking of those little pieces of tasty chicken that are fried, are in sauces and what might they be as also chicken fried rice. This includes meat as well.
During a relevant conversation last evening I told someone I will stick to Swiss Chalet chicken. The person agreed with me.
If it is possible when you eat out and return indoors, drink some warm tea as also ginger tea.
Someone told me after dining out, for this purpose it would be a good idea to drink some brandy. As St. Paul said, “Have a little wine for the stomach…”
You may wish to travel with some relevant tea bags so that when at a hotel, if it is possible you could make some in the confines of the hotel room. In this era of thorough airport searches, ensure that they are properly labeled.
is a good thing i never ate at this place. i know what they are talking about. six people got sick. i still would not trust buying anything there. bring your food to work and cook at your home
which place is that cause it is not mentioned here what place it was exactly
Down to the market you must go, in the corner on your knees, green like a monkey if you please and choose the one you love the best
hmm thats the clue, if anyone got it… they got it rite huh
LOL, RIGHT away the restaurant they are talking about is clear
Creative. Thank you!
Hahaha
that is a good one
The love of money is the root of evil. They restaurant owner and DNO are crooks. They don’t care of the welfare of the people, just give us money. That will encourage more people to cook their own food.
We already have young people with diabetes and high blood pressure, now we have food poisoning.
Food poisoning is no joke. Be careful what we in jest. That goes straight into our blood stream.
What we put in our bodies could be life or death. Take care of our health, because if we do not have good health we have nothing. Take heed Dominicans.
The restaurants should be inspected regularly and the results posted for all patrons to see.
thats y i never n will never eat from a resturant i like preparing my own meals
This happened about 4 wks ago and everything’s back to normal at that restaurant…….so what is it that DNO is trying to prove by bringing this issue up only now.
This is a ticklish situation. .. To name the restaurant could destroy the business to not name it creates a state of fear in the minds of the public in that it could be any restaurant in Possie so the entire community could suffer.
I do not see the point of the story other than to stoke someone’s ego , for one person’s 5 mins of fame …
No restaurant is immune to a situation which results in food poisoning of one or more of its patrons.
Please stop being hypocritical about it when the same people clamoring for the restaurant to be named stops by the roadside barbeque grill to buy chicken or fish … Do y’all know the number of contaminants and bacteria that could get to that chicken ?
This is a public health issue. There is a whole lot more at stake than someone’s cheque book. I do not see any value in concealing information that risks human lives. Seems the guilty business owner is protected but the public, i.e the many who may frequent that restaurant, cannot protect itself from that business owner because the public has no clue that he/she has a record of unsanitary practices.
The Unit does the same in Roseau. It inspects restaurants and the only persons who know of the spots to avoid are those who are close to the inspectors or those who would have heard through the grapevine. Ludicrous! That report is never made public. If a restaurant is shut down because of unsanitary conditions, the public is still not made aware. How can we speak of development on one hand and on the next we embrace practices that keep us in the dark ages?
In whose interest is the responsible public health agency (the Environmental Health Unit) operating: The business owner and her/his wallet or our lives?
You are right but at the same time I know the risks involve when buying food on the road side. I wont take my date by the road side for a meal.
I am happy to hear that a last the Department of Environmental Health is shutting down unhygienic food establishments. That’s a step in the right direction. However there are a lot more food establishments which are operating which if they were in other jurisdiction would not even be allowed to open. Many of them do not satisfy the structural requirements of a food establishment. Others lack the proper facilities that would allow them to operate at the highest level of hygiene and sanitation. What I would like to see is that licensing of food establishments be done by the Environmental Health department instead of the Inland Revenue Department.We have food establishments being licensed by that Inland revenue without even knowing what are the hygiene and sanitation requirements for food establishments. I have no objections to them collecting the moneys but the issuing of licenses should be the responsibility of the Env. Health dept.
This has got to be the worse piece of news ever. What is the purpose of putting this in the news if the name is not being mentioned. Obviously it is a health hazard.. ” On the north of the Island”? what s that suppose to mean. I would suggest that when stuff like this arise please do not put it as a news, just leave it alone. We have not learned anything. Only in Dominica.
If DNO had mentioned the name all you would be the same set of people complaining that DNO want to bring down poor people by plastering their names on the internet.
All you would say “yes is poor people, their name on the internet, but if is a Chinese or a rich man their name is hidden.”
You people are a bunch of hypocrites.
Sorry, Where I am from I am used to the news saying it like it is. Either you going to tell me or don’t say anything. News is what it is, NEWS. People are so small minded and personal that the news cannot be news it is served with missing ingredients. The hypocrisy is in the readers pretending that they do not want to know which restaurant was closed down by the health department. If I live in a small city and a restaurant was shut down by the health dept, you bet your bottom dollar I want to know. It should be my choice if I want to continue eating there. The same practice may still be going on. Maybe they only agree to fix it, BUT! who knows.
So why the story then?
Mr. Dorival is one set…And you can never please Dominicans. The don’t know what they want.
why would ya’ll put this up without including the NAME OF THE RESTAURANT? admin it would have been better if ya’ll had said nothing, because right now ya’ll giving the people HALF NEWS……….
if it was ur restaurant would u likke your name to be mentioned. stupes. at least i know because i saw the sign on the door but was not sure if is the owner or health and upon reading this i realise is from health. what is good 4 the goose is good 4 the gander. after all . dno u did the right thing no name.
In whose interest does the Chief Environmental Officer work? I think it is for the general public. We pay him. Therefore, we would expect that he would have named the restaurant so that Dominicans will be more cautious of what they eat and where. Public health is, after all, Mr. Scotland’s main task.
I understand the ramifications of naming in a society like ours. I understand. Still, there is a much bigger picture: The security of the public’s health. I want to know the establishments that have a record of unsanitary conditions. This information i pay the Mr. Scotland for. Yet, he withholds it from me?
We must get serious about “development” in Dominica.
why not name the restaurant?
Labass Restaurant.
PAPAMET?!? I hope is not the Labass codfish?
That’s the saltfish that was unearthed in Fond Cole
Man that sold far & wide yes!
Codfish again!!! I wonder if that was some of the labass codfish that was laying low until the scandal died down…suspect!
de same saltfish that came from de landfill?! wouiee
Good to know that its being taken seriously in DA. Its one of the worse thing one can experience “Food Poisoning” In north America this is taken seriously because people could die from something as simple as a meal not being at the right temperature. Where I work there’s a community kitchen where on a regular basis hanwashing is a must, heads are covered etc, and taken very seriously. I’ve seem people who’ve experienced this. Next the permits should come in where if a place is filthy has a rat or mice infestation, the sign could be taken away until its clean, and the sign must be in a window wherever food is served so patrons can see. so if its not there you know why. Good start DA it works.
Hand washing that is
lol, I saw a documentary of New York restaurants at night..u cannot imagine the amout of rodents that frolic there
hmmmm
how is the health officers peotecting the public if no one knew exactly which restaurant it was?
Is that a legit question?
Well which restaurant it should be name
Stupessss
Whoosh…all saltfish sweet
That’s interesting!
what is the point of the story if the name of the restaurant is not disclosed!
DNO, do you think that the Labass Codfish ended up there? Just a thought. On another note, I believe that the name of the restaurant/shop should be made public so that people are aware.
sue weee
lol
we 2 good
no name dno
no running water
no rest room
close dem down
also in roe-so also
possie allu have power pun
I am glad that they are given a second chance and I hope this was an eyeopener for everyone involved and other similar business owners/managers. Customer welfare should be your priority; hence, you should take care of your customers as you would yourself or your family members.
God bless
Check some of the bread places in the area just south of Roseau. Health Inspectors stop sleeping on all you. Come early in the mornings. Check for those that have big foot, those thathave blade under thier pants and those whose personal hygiene is just naked nasty. Yes! Scotie come to the bakeries inand around Roseau.
Just had second incident in less than 8 months of what appears to be rodent dropping in slice bread froom the same bakery which has several outlets. Should we go to the bakery or take it straight to environmental health for testing?