LYNN – The City of Lynn Health Department, in conjunction with inspection services, is establishing a Food Safety Committee to help restaurant and grocery store owners understand health regulations and provide them with an opportunity to participate in setting rules and regulations.
Public Health Director Lisa Tobin said the department participates in the FDA’s National Retail Food Regulatory Program (Retail Program Standards) voluntary standards for its food safety inspections in the city.
“As for the standard program, we are working on security policies and procedures and are looking for input from people who are affected by them,” Tobin said.
She said the ministry will establish guidelines based on risk-based food inspections, such as how many repeat violations a company can commit before it is included in a risk control plan.
“We want to discuss these kinds of issues with companies and institutions to make them feel like they can be part of it and understand where it comes from,” Tobin added.
Tobin said the city has been participating in the Retail Program Standards for about three years. While voluntary, the standards must be met to be recognized as an accredited health department. They are designed to promote proper sanitation, good retail practices, and operational and environmental preconditions while encouraging regulators and industry to focus on the factors that cause and contribute to foodborne illness.
The Health Department held an informational meeting with the North Shore Latino Business Association (NSLBA) on Tuesday to inform local business owners about membership and discuss retail standards and risk control plans.
NSLBA President Frances Martinez said the committee is important because the city’s business community is very diverse and regulations are sometimes not easy to understand.
“We have so much cultural food in the community,” she said. “I think that’s a good definition of community.”
Tobin said she hopes this is a great program for the city.
“I think implementing a solution like this will ensure that everyone knows what to expect, that everyone is treated equally, and that it will improve our entire restaurant scene,” Tobin said.
