Nearly 85% of school kitchens inspected last year by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA) were found to be up to food hygiene standards, AFSCA announced on 25 August.
Of the 1,505 premises visited by inspectors, 84.5% met health requirements. Checks are carried out every two to four years, depending on whether the meals are prepared on site. AFSCA is extremely pleased with the results, which arrived in advance of the start of the school year.
“It’s always a reassuring message on the eve of the new school year. We are obviously satisfied with the figures. This means that the different people who work in school kitchen have a good knowledge of the standards. Our children are safe when it comes to food,” Aline Van den Broeck, spokesperson for AFSCA, said.
AFSCA makes its assessment according to several criteria, such as the kitchens’ infrastructure (food storage rooms, dish cleaning facilities, and serving areas), keeping hot and cold food separate, and testing for allergens.
Related News
- Belgium experiences surge in food poisoning this summer
- Nearly 80 tonnes of tuna seized by Belgium’s food safety agency
Those who failed the tests usually did so over improper controls relating to allergens. “There was not enough information or not enough detail about them. We also noted hygiene problems in certain premises, such as insufficient facilities for staff to wash their hands, but nothing that put the safety of pupils in danger,” Van den Broeck noted.
Outside of schools, Belgian food safety standards leave much to be desired. This year, barely half of the establishments tested by AFSCA received a positive assessment. In Brussels, barely a quarter of hospitality establishments were found to be in order.
