BVI News

Environmental Health Dep’t to increase nightly inspections of local restaurants

Chief Environmental Health Officer, Lionel Michael.

The Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health is increasing nightly inspections of food establishments across the territory. 

A media release on Thursday indicated that the division is increasing nightly inspections “to improve the food safety standards in the British Virgin Islands”.

The Division said starting March 25, “inspections will be conducted during the evening, particularly for those establishments that open after 5 pm.”

Chief Environmental Health Officer Lionel Michael, in the meantime, is requesting ‘cooperation’ from the public and proprietors of the targeted establishments.

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29 Comments

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  1. Uncle says:

    Minister Malone
    That Division of your Ministry has a lot of nastiness going on that needs to be brought to your attention. For example, If a complaint is made to the unit, they don’t have to common decency to reply.Also decisions that concern an individual ability to receive a trade license is a particular business should not be the decision of the ceo. That level of decision making should be that of the Minister of Health and Social Development. I urge your Minister Malone to address this issue before embarrassment is brought to your Ministry.

    There is food vans that operating in the day that serves cold meat that is grilled and not place in chafing dishes to be keep at the required temperature by law. That ceo hasn’t address that be he wants to have inspection at night establishments.

    Like 20
    • @Uncle says:

      Thank You. I am a private citizen and I see exactly how some of the food vans operate. That is the main reason I donot eat from food vans.

      Like 13
      • Bossman says:

        Realistically the Ministry needs to get its own house in order, Raw Sewerage, Coxsheath (hard to believe that is really Flamingo Pond), Pockwood Pond – Open Burning, Broken Incinerator and Medical Waste just laying around up there, some real serious health and environmental issues…

        Like 17
        • Just Ice says:

          @ Bossman.. Damn right! Govt paid to have coxheath out and up til now still burning..whats going on with the incinerator and the already paid for scrubber..

          Like 12
  2. cheers says:

    WHAT ABOUT THE MANY FOOD VANS AND TENTS THAT POPPED UP ALL OVER THE BVI? THESE ISLAND PEOPLE BROUGHT THEIR CULTURE UPON US

    Like 18
    Dislike 13
    • Island People? says:

      Do you know that there are food vans in New York and DC as well? Many of those food vans and tents are owned or funded by BVIslanders. Please stop this divisive talk!

      Like 1
      Dislike 2
      • Live in New York says:

        Yes there are food Trucks that is own and operated by Carribean people.I patronize one that is owned by a couple from Trinidad. Here they are very strict on food trucks, food inspectors will shut you down on the spot if you canot produce a food handlers license or medical. You are also require to have a sticker on you food truck from the health Department.Restaurants are also required to have A B C or D sticker on the door. A & B clean, C & D eat with caution. This is required by law. At least the public knows how clean the restaurants are before they decide to eat at the restaurant. The food inspectors will walk up or in your place of business anytime day or night and shut you down on the spot if things is not right.

  3. VICKIE says:

    There is food selling on the street. If a function is going on that is fine but to have this place turn like this is unacceptable it is time to stop this now before something happen that will be costly to the BVI. I hope the minister look into it we need to set a decent standard especially in the capital. The Town is way out of control.

    Like 14
  4. Please... says:

    Don’t forget the grocery stores.

    Like 18
  5. Michael says:

    I see more corruption on the way. When your inspectors need some side cash it’s a simple “pay to pass” hmmmmmm

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
  6. We shall see says:

    I know he is reading these comments. Let us see if he is going to put his foot down and set things straight. Road Town is looking like a ghetto. Tents, Food Vans,people setting up S**t everywhere you name it.

    Like 17
  7. what says:

    Raw toxic sewage running in the street for months. RTW by Prospect reef
    Maybe we should show some concern about that .

    Like 14
  8. LOL says:

    Will they inspect the bro in-law place as well? jokes all around!

    • @LOL says:

      Bro in law already got his free pass.He is FAM. This place is sick.This place will always stay at the bottom of the Totem pole reject.

  9. Nice says:

    That’s good to hear I hope they implement it there are plenty store in town handing food with out gloves for sure they saw it during inspections over the years still the same.Hoping this year would be different and for the better.

  10. What am I Putting in My stomach? says:

    A message to The Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health:

    Please take this very seriously and step up investigations into what a food supermarket is selling the public.

    Two days ago a package of what was labelled mutton was purchased from an outlet of the supermarket here in the BVI.

    Upon cooking and plating, the meat was something other than mutton.

    It contained small flimsy bones and a leg or foot joint and other bones parts resembling that of a dog in bone size and structure. It was most definitely not MUTTON!

    Indeed, there was not even a smell or taste of mutton associated with that meat, knowing as we do, that mutton has a very strong aroma.

    Our food supply is not safe. We are being sold products that are not what they are labelled as.

    We could be buying and eating animals that we would not ordinarily or never consume.

    Moreover, we could be eating human flesh disguised as something else.

    This is a very serious matter. Please close down the meat department of that green and white supermarket chain, investigate and ascertain that it/they are selling us authentic MEATS.

    Like 18
    • hey says:

      I lost my appetite reading this. You are making me seriously consider not eating meat of any animal except fish.

      Like 15
    • Yes says:

      I believe the meats that they are selling is some other type of mystery meat.Hell, bison,Ostrich, black bear, alligator, racoon ever notice how big some of the chicken wings are? The small chicken wings could be pigeon wings.I had to make the choice to stop eating anytype of meat. I don’t want any chicken that is shipped from Russia or China VIA USA then shipped to Tortola with the fake Purdue label.My mother purchased a whole chicken and it had a rawish smell.No matter how much lemon lime and vinegar she wash the chicken with, that rawish scent would not go away.

    • Must have says:

      Sounds to me like some other type of meat was cut up to look like mutton. Come on, Island people knows how mutton should taste and smell. I like salmon and I stop eating salmon because I don’t know if it is wild caught which is better or farm raised that they feed dog food and other things to make them grow faster. Drink Almond or soy milk,regular milk is from cows that is pumped up with hormones to make them lactate.

  11. @What am i putting in my stomach says:

    That is the main reason I stop eating any type of meat. Two years ago, I had a New York Strip and it made me real sick. My stomach was messed up for a week I had to go to the doctor because I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain. Most of the foods is filled with a lot of hormones that they feed the cows and chickens to make them grow real fast. But for real, they said that corn beef in the can is horse meat,beef liver is elephant liver and ground beef is bear ostrich and maybe bison grind up together because the texture is the same as beef.

    Like 11
  12. I just don’t get it says:

    Why are they even announcing that they will be doing this? Yes, you can schedule visitiations with establishments but I firmly believe that you need to pop up on establishments too to really see what’s going on. Otherwise, do something similar to a secret shopper and let personnel or other persons pay visits as if they are customers who are secretly inspecting and will report their findings. Come on man, we may be a small territory but we act like we don’t have television, radio or internet! Why does everything seem so archaic with government? Try something new because obviously what you’re doing is not working. However I don’t have much hope if we are driving through feces on a daily, landowners having septic tanks overflowing, garbage overflowing with mattresses and other crap. I fail to see how effective this department is. Yes there are a lot of nasty people out there with nasty ways but your department needs to ENFORCE the law or lobby to create laws which protect the environment/society. That’s my 5 cents!

    Like 13
  13. Anonymous says:

    Dont forget to hire environmental health practitioners because many are just sitting with their qualifications and experience but not employed.

    • Ms wize says:

      True while many has to be recruited because some hete just sit on their phones all day,wouldn’t lift a straw. Selfies n snapchat is more important to than the government work. Wake up people…wake up

  14. Anonymous says:

    The ministries in charge of this responsibility inspections of food vendors an premises how the food are being prepared the health of the person preparing the food should be thoroughly check and if is fit he/she must be licensed to practice only any other person without the proper medical check should not be allowed to sell supermarkets sanitation or anything food to the public the regulatory agencies should wake up the health of the public in danger thank you

  15. Jonathan says:

    The ministries in charge of this responsibility inspections of food vendors an premises how the food are being prepared the health of the person preparing the food should be thoroughly check and if is fit he/she must be licensed to practice only any other person without the proper medical check should not be allowed to sell supermarkets sanitation or anything food to the public the regulatory agencies should wake up the health of the public in danger thank you

  16. @I just don't get it says:

    Thank You for that awesome truthful comment. I think most of the people who is responsible to handle these things is just as guilty. Stupids, you suppose to have surprise inspections.

  17. Should says:

    Anyone handling food should first have a medical to check for TB ETC.. To many people is out here cooking foods in there homes and selling it on the streets. But knowing how Tortola works, they are not going to do anything to correct the problem. Some of the food inspectors will fall for a few dollars to look the other way and others will look the other way for the ones they know or is related.

  18. Do it as your duties in order to protect and promote public health... Mussa Mpemba says:

    Protecting and promoting public health is among of duties of environmental health officer…. We will support you

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