Warmer climates and a higher volume of imported goods mean food safety is a particularly big challenge in the Middle East.
Hands on approach
“My day starts very early having a look at the first deliveries, inspecting, smelling and touching poultry, fish etc,” says Ritz-Carlton Doha’s Esquivel.
“It is not just about the hygiene but also the quality of the products.
Then I go round having a look at our 20-plus walk-in chillers and freezers, I attend the daily meetings they have in all our kitchens and we speak everyday about something related to food safety, it’s crucial to awake the interest in the science.”
At Pizza Express, high risk food, fridge temperature and supplier deliveries are physically recorded.
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“We conduct monthly food hygiene test and audits in all the restaurants and any compliances are dealt with seriously, says Prashanth Menon, operations head at Jordana Restaurants.
But the big question is whether food outlets are supported enough in their quest to achieving food safety. Hilton’s Noack believes the food safety group launched by Dubai Municipality is an excellent aid for F&B outlets to regularly consult with the body on food safety matters.
But while major hotel groups like Jumeirah work closely with the Dubai Municipality, and as a result its food safety programme has since provided a benchmark for the region, there are concerns that more could be done across the board.
Shared vision
“So far the hotel is being measured by many regulations – national and international,” says Esquivel.
“This helps us to maintain the highest standards in everything we do, Baladiya (municipality) is one of them, it is the governmental institution that regulates all the hotels and F&B operations in the country, we work closely with them, they visit us on monthly basis and we have a very good relationship.
We exchange information and we learn a lot from them, there are a lot of projects from the authorities regarding food safety in Qatar.
“Mostly from my point of view I would like to see the small shops and rest of the restaurants in the area raise their bar like us, five-star hotels. Our guests can then go out and do what the tourists do, when visiting different locations. They can then have their meals without worrying they are not in the hotel.”
Pizza Express’ Menon agrees: “It would be great if the municipality and the hospitality industry work hand in hand and share the latest views and challenges we face in day to day operations.
“There are lots of new innovative food safety methods being developed. It’ll be great when these are shared among all in the hospitality industry,” he
concludes.
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