Food safety versus community spirit?

By Greg Amos, Staff Reporter, Tumbler Ridge News, British Columbia
Wednesday January 13, 2010

Food serving practices are at the centre of an ongoing battle between
Tumbler Ridge community groups and Northern Health.

Northern Health's strict requirement that food be prepared in a licensed
and permitted kitchen is constraining possibilities for public events,
contends Tumbler Ridge librarian Michele Burton. The issue came to a
head in December, after a last-minute arrangement was required in order
to hold a book launch at the library on December 17. 

A complaint received by Northern Health prompted a visit from an
inspector. As a result, a caterer was hired to provide the food, but
Burton said the library staff were treated poorly and requested an
apology from Northern Health. 

That apology won't be granted, said Greg Thibault, manager of public
health protection for Northern Health's Prince George district, in light
of previous interactions between Northern Health and the library. To
properly hold a public event involving food, a temporary event permit is
required, he explained. While there's no cost to getting a permit, it
usually requires two weeks advance notice. 

In practice, it also means a group needs access to either a permitted
kitchen or a professional caterer. A group can forego the inconvenience
of getting temporary permits by getting a yearly permit, but there is a
cost attached.

The issues began roughly one year ago, when home-made food was being
brought to Itchy Feet travel lecture series held at the library, said
Burton. Foods and dishes from around the world are a big part of the
experience the series aims to cultivate, she explained.

"We were told that we couldn't bring food from a home," she said. "I
know a lot of people were very offended by this, because they have
successfully raised children and attended many functions in the town,
and they have never made anyone sick."

Northern Health became aware of the issues after a complaint was filed
by a Tumbler Ridge catering business, said Thibault. Province-wide
regulations state that food at these events must be prepared in an
approved kitchen, or brought in by an outside caterer, he said.

"We recognize certain groups seem to have difficulty in arranging prior
notification and approved facilities or caterers," he said. "But Tumbler
Ridge does have a number of successful caterers that can be employed.
Northern Health is confident Tumbler Ridge can continue to hold
successful events."

Later last year, Burton learned a proposed chili cook-off to be held by
the Grizzly Valley Saddle Club was being challenged by Northern Health
rules requiring a hot water station at each kiosk, as well as other
measures.

"My comment to (Northern Health) was: 'the way you're setting up these
rules and governing them means we can't do anything in the winter with
food outside'," she said. "I told them it's killing community spirit."

To sort out the issues, Northern Health came to Tumbler Ridge to do a
presentation to various community groups last spring. One outcome was a
broadly-recognized need for a community kitchen, said Burton. But
tensions flared again when Northern Health threatened a fine after the
next Itchy Feet event, this time because of fruit that was being cut up
at the library. Northern Health said health permits were required for
food being served at any public event, "even when getting a pizza
delivered," recalled Burton.

Since the rules make it difficult to use home-cooked food, Thibault
suggests groups planning on having food at an event use a community
kitchen or a church kitchen instead. Even restaurants may be willing to
donate supervised use of their kitchens, he said. 

It's Northern Health's goal to help groups and businesses hold events
that are free of food-borne illnesses, explained Thibault. To get a
permit, groups can contact the Dawson Creek office at 250-719-6500.
While Northern Health prefers two weeks notice, permits can be issued in
as little as two days.