Food truck inspections at Brussels Summer Festival: two offences, six warnings issued

Food truck inspections at Brussels Summer Festival: two offences, six warnings issued
© BSF

Inspectors from the federal food safety agency this week carried out spot-checks on around 20 of the 30 food trucks serving food to the public at the Brussels Summer Festival.

The result: two offences were discovered, and the owners of the trucks will be fined. In six other cases the inspectors issued a warning. “We only uncovered minor infringements,” the agency told La Libre Belgique.

One of the most common problems is the lack of facilities for washing hands,” the agency said. “And yet it’s of prime importance. Operators have to have access to running water, soap and some means of drying their hands.”

In other cases, food had to be thrown away because it was not being stored at the proper temperature, in a fridge whose door was broken. Food trucks must also display their authorisation from the agency, as well as information on allergens that may be contained in their food, such as peanuts.

The festival continues today, its last day, with acts including Rive, Blanche and Lost Frequencies. Previous days have featured Giorgio Moroder, Manic Street Preachers, Christine and the Queens and Hooverphonic, playing at three venues in the centre: La Madeleine, Mont des Arts and Place des Palais.

The food agency deployed six inspectors, working in pairs, among the food trucks spread across the three venues. The law gives them the right to enter any premises preparing or serving food, and inspect all installations and provisions. Sometimes visits are arranged in advance; at other times spot-checks are carried out without warning.

Broadly, everything was in order,” an agency spokesperson said. “Festival-goers should be able to enjoy themselves without worrying about food safety.”

Alan Hope

The Brussels Times


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