In order to help food business operators with their food safety responsibilities, Galway County and City Enterprise Board is to run a three-day food safety training programme.

Run in conjunction with about hygiene, food hygiene and safety trainers, the programme will incorporate the Primary Food Safety and HACCP Food Safety Training programme.

The programme is being run due to heightening fears about food safety after 9,000 food premises throughout the country were in breach of food legislation in 2005, according to the Food Safety Authority. A number of premises in Galway city and county were shut down in 2007 for food legislation infringements.

About hygiene, food hygiene trainers explain that food hygiene adherence is of paramount importance to every food business. Over 9,000 food premises were in breach of food legislation in 2005, a new report from the Food Safety Authority reveals.

Nearly half of the 9,352 breaches related to general hygiene problems such as poor sanitation, personal hygiene and pest control.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland found in its annual report that poor risk assessment accounted for another 26 per cent of problems in food premises, and 13 per cent related to poor hygiene training.

SafeFood, Ireland's Food Safety Promotion Board carried out a telephone survey of 1,000 people. The findings revealed that many people do not know food safety rules.

In answer to the question 'when should you wash your hands', half of respondents failed to mention after using the toilet, with one-third not mentioning when preparing meals or after handling raw meat.

90 per cent of respondents failed to say hands should be washed after touching animals, and almost 80 per cent of people didn't realise leftover food should be refrigerated.

For more details on training programmes contact Galway County and City Enterprise Board on 091-565269.

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